RIPON WWTP - Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Ripon, Wisconsin

RIPON WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 526 Aspen Street in Ripon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a population of about 8,612 people, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category for US inland communities. Its designed capacity is 1.00 million gallons per day, reflecting the scale of this community's wastewater needs. As a US facility, RIPON WWTP operates under the Clean Water Act and is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For plants of this size, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring removal of organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. Regulatory compliance with state and federal standards is expected. The plant discharges treated effluent into a local water body within the Upper Fox River Basin, which ultimately drains into Lake Winnebago and then through the Fox River to Green Bay on Lake Michigan. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and recreational uses, making proper treatment essential for protecting downstream water quality and the Great Lakes ecosystem.

RIPON WWTP discharges into a tributary of the Upper Fox River, which flows into Lake Winnebago, the largest inland lake in Wisconsin. From there, water travels via the Lower Fox River to Green Bay and Lake Michigan. This watershed supports important fisheries, including walleye and perch, and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's treatment performance is critical to preventing nutrient loading that could contribute to algal blooms in Lake Winnebago and Green Bay.