PERHAM WWTP - Cass County, Minnesota Wastewater Treatment Plant

PERHAM WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cass County, Minnesota, serving a population of around 3,070. The plant is situated in a rural area of north-central Minnesota, within the headwaters region of the Mississippi River basin. As a small-scale facility in the United States, the plant operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. For agglomerations of this size, secondary treatment is typically required to meet effluent standards for biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a role in protecting downstream water quality in a region characterized by forests, lakes, and wetlands that support diverse aquatic life.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Mississippi River, which flows southward through Minnesota and ultimately into the Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed includes numerous lakes and wetlands that provide habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife. Protecting water quality in this region is important for maintaining recreational uses and ecological health in the Mississippi River basin.