Columbia POTW North Wastewater Treatment Plant, Columbia, Mississippi

Columbia POTW North is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Columbia, Marion County, Mississippi, United States. The facility serves a small population of 986 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or small-town community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting typical standards for inland facilities. The plant's designed capacity is 1135.62 units, and it currently discharges 416.40 units of treated effluent daily, indicating operational headroom. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such facilities operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, which set effluent limits and monitoring requirements to protect water quality. The treated wastewater is discharged into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Pearl River basin, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's inland location, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact. Its operations help maintain the ecological health of local streams and downstream aquatic habitats.

The plant discharges into a local watercourse within the Pearl River basin, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and invertebrates, and provides habitat for migratory species. The secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants, protecting downstream water quality and ecosystem function.