Perry unveils a $30M treatment plant in line with Iowa’s water quality goals – Iowa Public Radio

Report on the Perry Wastewater Treatment Facility and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The city of Perry has inaugurated a new wastewater treatment facility, a decade-long infrastructure project designed to enhance environmental protection and foster economic growth. By processing approximately one million gallons of wastewater daily, the plant utilizes advanced biological treatments to significantly reduce nutrient pollution in the North Raccoon River. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Technological Advancements and Infrastructure Development (SDG 9)

The facility overhaul represents a significant investment in resilient and sustainable infrastructure, aligning with the objectives of SDG 9.

Advanced Treatment Process

The plant employs a multi-stage process to treat wastewater effectively:

1. Mechanical Pre-treatment: Large debris and grit are removed to protect downstream equipment.
2. Biological Nutrient Removal: State-of-the-art anaerobic and biological processes are used to target specific pollutants. New anaerobic tanks house specialized bacteria that consume phosphorus when temporarily deprived of air.
3. Effluent Discharge: Treated water is safely discharged into the North Raccoon River, meeting stringent quality standards.

Increased Capacity for Future Growth

The project has substantially increased the community’s maximum treatment capacity from 2.9 million to 5.2 million gallons per day, providing the necessary infrastructure to support future industrial and residential expansion.

Environmental Stewardship and Water Resource Management (SDG 6 & SDG 14)

The primary environmental objective of the facility is to improve water quality, a core target of SDG 6 and SDG 14.

Nutrient Reduction Strategy

• The facility is engineered to remove both nitrogen and phosphorus, consistent with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and the federal Clean Water Act.
• The state requires large municipal facilities to reduce nutrient loads, with targets of 10 mg/L or less for nitrogen and 1 mg/L or less for phosphorus.
• As of 2024, state-wide compliance for large plants was 33% for nitrogen goals and 14% for phosphorus targets, highlighting the significance of Perry’s upgraded facility.

Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems

By reducing nutrient discharge, the plant directly contributes to SDG 14 (Life Below Water). The removal of phosphorus is critical for preventing downstream eutrophication, which can lead to harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen and harm aquatic life, thereby protecting the biodiversity of the North Raccoon River.

Socio-Economic Development (SDG 8 & SDG 11)

The infrastructure upgrade provides a foundation for sustainable economic growth and community development, addressing key aspects of SDG 8 and SDG 11.

Attracting Investment and Creating Decent Work (SDG 8)

• The expanded wastewater treatment capacity was a decisive factor in attracting a new $135 million JBS USA sausage production facility to Perry.
• The JBS plant is projected to create 500 jobs across two shifts, stimulating the local economy and providing significant employment opportunities.

Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SDG 11)

The new facility is a cornerstone of Perry’s strategy for sustainable urban development. It ensures the community can manage its wastewater effectively, protect public health, and support growth without compromising environmental integrity.

Collaborative Implementation and Funding (SDG 17)

The successful completion of this decade-long project exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Strategic Partnerships

• The majority of funding was secured through the State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans for water quality initiatives.
• This fund is jointly managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Iowa Finance Authority, demonstrating effective collaboration between state agencies to achieve sustainability objectives.
• The Iowa DNR has designated the North Raccoon Watershed as a priority area, underscoring the strategic importance of this project.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The entire article focuses on a new wastewater treatment facility in Perry, Iowa. This directly relates to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation. The facility’s purpose is to treat “water from sinks, showers and toilets” before it is discharged into the North Raccoon River, which is a core component of SDG 6.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The article describes a major infrastructure project—the “facility overhaul” which was a “decade-long process.” It highlights the use of “state-of-the-art biological treatments” as an innovation. Furthermore, this infrastructure is shown to be a catalyst for industrial and economic development, as the mayor states, “Because of this plant, we were able to attract JBS.”
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The wastewater treatment plant is a critical piece of municipal infrastructure that makes the city of Perry more sustainable. By improving its waste management (specifically wastewater), the city reduces its adverse environmental impact on the surrounding ecosystem. The increased capacity also supports community growth, as mentioned in the context of Ames needing an upgrade “to meet higher demand as the community grows.”
4. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • The article explicitly mentions the facility’s role in “removing both nitrogen and phosphorus.” These nutrients are major contributors to pollution in water bodies. By reducing nutrient loads into the North Raccoon River, the project helps prevent and reduce land-based pollution that can harm aquatic ecosystems downstream, which ultimately contributes to the health of larger water bodies and oceans as targeted by SDG 14.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution and halving the proportion of untreated wastewater.
   • The article is centered on this target. The new facility is designed to improve water quality by “removing both nitrogen and phosphorus” from wastewater before it is discharged. This is a direct effort to reduce pollution from municipal sources. The project is part of the “Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy,” which aims to improve the quality of water bodies like the North Raccoon River.
2. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development.
   • The new wastewater facility is described as a quality and sustainable infrastructure project that directly supports economic development. The mayor of Perry explicitly links the plant’s increased capacity to the city’s ability to attract a new JBS sausage production facility, which represents a “$135 million facility” that will “employ 500 people.”
3. Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to municipal and other waste management.
   • The facility is a clear example of a city improving its municipal waste management. By treating approximately “1 million gallons of water… each day” and removing harmful nutrients, the city of Perry is actively reducing its environmental footprint on the local watershed.
4. Target 14.1: By 2030, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including… nutrient pollution.
   • The article’s focus on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus directly addresses the problem of nutrient pollution from land-based activities. The state’s strategy requires plants to meet specific effluent concentrations for these nutrients, which is a direct action to mitigate the downstream effects of this type of pollution, such as “harmful algal blooms.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Volume of wastewater treated:
   • The article states the facility processes “Roughly 1 million gallons of water… each day” and has an increased maximum capacity of “5.2 million.” This volume serves as a direct indicator of the proportion of wastewater being treated (Indicator 6.3.1).
2. Nutrient concentration in effluent:
   • The article provides specific, measurable targets for water quality. The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy requires plants to “keep nitrogen effluent concentrations at 10 milligrams per liter or less and phosphorus at 1 mg/L or less.” These values are direct indicators for measuring the reduction of nutrient pollution (related to Targets 6.3 and 14.1).
3. Compliance rate of facilities:
   • The article provides a regional progress metric, stating that in 2024, “33% of the large-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants met the total nitrogen goals, while 14% hit the phosphorus targets.” This percentage is an indicator of the overall progress of wastewater treatment improvements in the state.
4. Economic investment and job creation:
   • The article implies an economic indicator by linking the new infrastructure to the attraction of a “$135 million facility” for JBS that will “employ 500 people.” This demonstrates the role of sustainable infrastructure in fostering economic development (related to Target 9.1).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: iowapublicradio.org