Valley Ridge CWC STP - Town of Seneca, Wisconsin Wastewater Treatment Plant

Valley Ridge CWC STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Great River Road in the Town of Seneca, Crawford County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a small population of 711 residents and operates under secondary treatment standards, which is the minimum required for municipal plants in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The plant has a designed capacity of 242.27 million gallons per year and currently discharges 166.56 million gallons per year, indicating it operates below its maximum capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids before discharging treated effluent. The plant is regulated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The treated wastewater from Valley Ridge CWC STP is discharged to a nearby water body, likely a tributary of the Mississippi River, given the plant's location near the Great River Road. The Mississippi River is a major waterway that drains into the Gulf of Mexico, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems and providing drinking water for millions. The plant's discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the region, and its secondary treatment helps protect downstream environments from nutrient pollution and other contaminants.

The plant discharges into a water body within the Upper Mississippi River basin, which flows southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River supports a wide range of aquatic life, including fish, mussels, and migratory birds. Downstream, the river's nutrient load can contribute to hypoxic zones in the Gulf, making effective wastewater treatment critical for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus inputs.