Palmyra WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Palmyra, Wisconsin

Palmyra WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 408 East Main Street in Palmyra, Wisconsin, within Jefferson County. The plant serves a population of 2,506 and operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all point source discharges. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove additional pollutants such as nutrients. It has a designed capacity of 870.64 million gallons per year and currently discharges 681.37 million gallons annually, indicating operational capacity below design levels. The facility is owned and operated by the local municipality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Rock River basin, which flows southward to the Mississippi River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in this agriculturally intensive region of southeastern Wisconsin.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Rock River, which flows through Wisconsin and Illinois before joining the Mississippi River. The Rock River watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for mitigating hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.