CHEROKEE – Iowa has some of the nastiest water you will find and it is about to get a little murkier after state officials told this small town it could jettison up to 2 million gallons of wastewater per day into a river.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has approved the City of Cherokee’s request to temporarily discharge partially treated wastewater into the Little Sioux River due to safety concerns at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
In late June 2024, the wastewater treatment plant suffered significant damage as a result of floodwaters. While efforts were made to continue treatment operations, the facility is currently unable to process wastewater due to safety and reliability concerns. The city has been storing wastewater in equalization lagoons, which are now full and at risk of overflowing, which could impact their structural integrity.
Beginning November 15, the City of Cherokee plans to discharge up to 2 million gallons of wastewater per day for a period of 25 days or until lagoon levels are lowered to a safe level. Throughout this period, the city will monitor the discharged wastewater.
In addition to the temporary discharge plan, the City of Cherokee is actively developing short-term treatment options utilizing the equalization lagoons and is in the planning stages for a permanent wastewater treatment facility.