Hazlehurst POTW Lagoon - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Copiah County, Mississippi

Hazlehurst POTW Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Copiah County, Mississippi, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,149 residents and operates as a lagoon-based system providing secondary treatment. Its designed capacity is 3,028 cubic meters per day, with an average discharge volume of 927 cubic meters per day. As a secondary treatment facility, Hazlehurst POTW Lagoon meets the minimum treatment requirements under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. The plant is permitted through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. For a plant of this scale, typical NPDES permits include limits on biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and nutrients. The treated effluent from the plant discharges into local streams that flow through the Pearl River basin, ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The facility plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in a region characterized by forested watersheds and agricultural land use. Proper treatment helps maintain aquatic habitat and supports recreational uses in the receiving waters.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Pearl River, which flows south through Mississippi and Louisiana before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The Pearl River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of freshwater mussels and fish. Downstream waters are ecologically sensitive, providing habitat for migratory birds and supporting commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf.