MAGNOLIA WWTP - Advanced Treatment Plant in Magnolia, North Carolina

MAGNOLIA WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Magnolia, Duplin County, North Carolina. Serving a population of 980, the plant provides advanced treatment to protect local water quality. It operates under the regulatory framework of the US Clean Water Act, which requires NPDES permits for discharges into surface waters. The plant employs advanced treatment processes, ensuring a high level of pollutant removal before discharge. With a designed capacity of 529.96 thousand cubic meters and an annual discharge volume of 302.83 thousand cubic meters, the facility operates below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant's treatment level exceeds the secondary treatment standard typically required for small communities. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body that drains into the Cape Fear River basin, ultimately reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream ecosystems, including sensitive aquatic habitats in the coastal plain region of North Carolina.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Cape Fear River, which flows through the coastal plain of North Carolina before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including anadromous fish species that migrate between freshwater and saltwater. Advanced treatment helps reduce nutrient loading, which is critical for preventing eutrophication in downstream estuaries and coastal waters.