LOUISVILLE POTW SOUTH Wastewater Treatment Plant, Louisville, Mississippi

LOUISVILLE POTW SOUTH is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi. The facility serves a population of approximately 4,628 residents, placing it in the small agglomeration category. As a publicly owned treatment works (POTW), it plays a key role in managing wastewater for the local community. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, plants of this scale are typically required to meet secondary treatment standards through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The NPDES permit, issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, sets effluent limits to protect water quality. Secondary treatment is the baseline expectation for municipal plants in the United States. The plant discharges treated wastewater into a local waterbody that ultimately drains into the Pearl River basin, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The Pearl River supports diverse aquatic life and provides recreational and economic value to the region. Proper treatment at this facility helps maintain water quality in the watershed and downstream ecosystems.

The plant's treated effluent enters a local tributary within the Pearl River basin. The Pearl River flows approximately 490 miles through Mississippi and Louisiana before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi Sound. This coastal estuary supports important fisheries and migratory bird habitats. The plant's location inland, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine discharge risk, but its discharge still influences downstream water quality in the river system.