Stratford WWTP - Secondary Treatment Facility in Stratford, Iowa

Stratford WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Stratford, Iowa, United States. The facility serves a small population of 715 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal plants of this scale. The plant has a designed capacity of 454.25 thousand cubic meters per year and currently discharges 189.27 thousand cubic meters per year, indicating it operates well below capacity. As a US facility, it is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Des Moines River basin, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The plant's secondary treatment process helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and supporting the ecological health of the Mississippi River system.

The plant discharges into receiving waters that flow into the Des Moines River, which joins the Mississippi River and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for fish and birds. The secondary treatment provided by the plant helps mitigate nutrient loading and organic pollution, which is critical for preventing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.