QUIMBY WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Cherokee County, Iowa

QUIMBY WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The plant serves a small population of 334 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. Under the US Clean Water Act, the plant operates with an NPDES permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The plant has a designed capacity of 151.42 megaliters per year and currently treats 113.56 megaliters annually, indicating available capacity for future growth. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway within the Missouri River basin, which ultimately drains to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help maintain the ecological health of the receiving stream and downstream waters, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Little Sioux River, which flows into the Missouri River and then the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed supports diverse aquatic species and provides habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for preventing downstream eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone.