Russell WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Lucas County, Iowa

Russell WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on 457th Street in Lucas County, Iowa, serving a small population of 565 residents. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater discharges to protect water quality. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,173.47 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 310.40 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent from Russell WWTP flows into local streams and rivers that are part of the Mississippi River basin, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems by reducing nutrient and pollutant loads in this agriculturally intensive region.

Russell WWTP discharges into local waterways within the Mississippi River basin, which drains a vast agricultural region before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are part of an important migratory corridor for fish and birds. Nutrient loading from wastewater and agricultural runoff is a key concern in this watershed, making effective secondary treatment critical for downstream water quality.