WESTBY WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Town of Christiana, Wisconsin

WESTBY WWTP is an advanced wastewater treatment facility located on Hegge Road in the Town of Christiana, Vernon County, Wisconsin. The plant serves a population of 2,245 and is part of the municipal infrastructure for the surrounding rural community. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove additional nutrients and contaminants. With a designed capacity of 870.64 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 454.25 megaliters, the facility operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all point source discharges. Such permits set effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that ultimately drains into the Mississippi River Basin. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream aquatic ecosystems, including the Mississippi River, which supports diverse fish and wildlife habitats.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Mississippi River Basin, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The region's watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a major migratory corridor for birds. Advanced treatment at this plant helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for mitigating hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.