Chatom Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chatom, Alabama

Chatom Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Jordan Street in Chatom, Washington County, Alabama. The plant serves a population of approximately 716 residents, placing it in the small community category typical of rural Alabama towns. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 757.08 thousand cubic meters and an annual discharge volume of 514.82 thousand cubic meters, the plant operates below its design capacity, indicating room for future growth. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Tombigbee River basin, part of the larger Mobile River system that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water quality and downstream aquatic habitats in the region.

Chatom Lagoon discharges into tributaries of the Tombigbee River, which flows into the Mobile River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and freshwater mussels, and is important for regional biodiversity. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication.