Verona Wastewater Treatment Plant, Verona, Illinois | Secondary Treatment Facility

Verona Wastewater is a municipal treatment facility located at 307 Division Street in Verona, Illinois, within Grundy County. The plant serves a small population of 273 residents, reflecting the rural character of the community. It operates under the regulatory framework of the United States Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment as a minimum standard for municipal wastewater facilities. The plant provides secondary treatment, a biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 128.70 million gallons per year and an actual discharge volume of 87.06 million gallons per year, the facility operates well within its capacity. This indicates sufficient headroom for current and future demand. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Illinois River basin, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in this agriculturally intensive region, supporting aquatic life and recreational uses in the watershed.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Illinois River watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf, a critical ecological concern.