Wallingford WWTP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Wallingford, Iowa

Wallingford WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Sewer Lagoon Road in Wallingford, Emmet County, Iowa. The facility serves a small population of 197 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for all point source discharges. For small communities like Wallingford, secondary treatment is the standard requirement, ensuring compliance with federal effluent guidelines. The plant's designed capacity of 113.56 megaliters per year indicates it has some reserve capacity beyond the current discharge volume of 75.71 megaliters per year. The treated effluent is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Des Moines River basin, which flows southward to the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting local streams and groundwater from untreated sewage, supporting aquatic life and downstream water quality in the Mississippi River watershed.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Des Moines River, which flows through Iowa and joins the Mississippi River near Keokuk. The Mississippi River then empties into the Gulf of Mexico, a large marine ecosystem that supports diverse fisheries and is affected by nutrient pollution from upstream sources. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic loading and nutrients, contributing to the health of local streams and the broader Mississippi River basin.