ETHEL POTW - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Ethel, Mississippi

ETHEL POTW (Publicly Owned Treatment Works) serves the small community of Ethel in Attala County, Mississippi. The plant provides secondary treatment for a population of 486, reflecting its role in managing municipal wastewater for this rural area. The plant operates under the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 340.69 million gallons per year and an annual discharge volume of 94.64 million gallons, the facility has substantial reserve capacity for future growth. Treated effluent from ETHEL POTW is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River basin. The plant's location in central Mississippi places it within a region of agricultural and forested landscapes, where maintaining water quality is important for downstream aquatic ecosystems.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Pearl River basin, which eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides habitat for fish and migratory birds. The secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to protect downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.