Woodward STL Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dallas County, Iowa

Woodward STL is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Dallas County, Iowa, serving a small community of about 1,200 residents. The plant operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for all point source discharges. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,843.49 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 719.23 cubic meters, indicating operational capacity well within design limits. Secondary treatment typically involves activated sludge or trickling filter systems. The facility is subject to state and federal monitoring requirements to ensure compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent from Woodward STL discharges to nearby streams that ultimately flow into the Des Moines River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water for downstream communities. The plant's operation helps protect local water quality and contributes to the ecological health of the Mississippi River basin.

Woodward STL discharges into small streams in the Des Moines River watershed, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The receiving waters support aquatic ecosystems and are used for recreation and drinking water. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for mitigating hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.