RAKE WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Rake, Iowa

RAKE WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on 500th Street in Rake, Winnebago County, Iowa. Serving a small population of 227 residents, the plant provides secondary treatment to ensure compliance with environmental standards. Its designed capacity is 151.42 volume units, with a current discharge volume of 113.56, reflecting typical usage for a rural community. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal facilities. As a small agglomeration, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring that effluent meets water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life and human health. Treated wastewater from RAKE WWTP is discharged into local streams that drain into the Upper Mississippi River basin. This region supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is part of a larger watershed that ultimately flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operation helps maintain water quality in this agriculturally intensive area.

The plant discharges into local waterways within the Upper Mississippi River basin, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports a variety of fish and wildlife, including migratory birds and freshwater mussels. The region's agricultural landscape means that nutrient management from wastewater is important to prevent downstream eutrophication in the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.