Rickardsville WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Rickardsville, Iowa

Rickardsville WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Rickardsville, Dubuque County, Iowa. The plant serves a small population of 171 residents, providing essential wastewater treatment for this rural community in the Midwestern United States. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 113.56 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 75.71 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. As a small facility, it is subject to state-level NPDES permitting under the authority of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The treated effluent from Rickardsville WWTP is discharged into local streams that drain into the Mississippi River basin. The Mississippi River is a major ecological corridor supporting diverse aquatic life and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this important watershed.

The plant discharges into small tributaries of the Mississippi River, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River basin supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish, mussels, and waterfowl. Secondary treatment reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping maintain water quality in this ecologically significant river system.