Fountain Hill WWTP - Advanced Wastewater Treatment in Fountain Hill, Arkansas

Fountain Hill WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Fountain Hill, Ashley County, Arkansas. The facility serves a small population of 175 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. The plant is situated near AR 160 and operates as part of the local wastewater infrastructure. The plant provides advanced treatment, which goes beyond secondary treatment to remove additional pollutants such as nutrients. It has a designed capacity of 208.20 million gallons per year and a reported discharge volume of 314.19 million gallons per year. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such facilities are regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River Basin. The plant's advanced treatment helps protect downstream ecosystems, including the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, by reducing nutrient loads that can contribute to hypoxia.

The plant discharges into a local water body within the Mississippi River Basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico experiences seasonal hypoxic zones due to nutrient pollution, making advanced nutrient removal at inland plants like Fountain Hill WWTP important for downstream water quality. The surrounding area is rural with agricultural land use, which can contribute non-point source pollution.