MAURY CITY STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Bethel, Tennessee

MAURY CITY STP is a wastewater treatment facility located in Bethel, Haywood County, West Tennessee, United States. The plant serves a population of 805 and is part of the municipal infrastructure for the area. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 567.81 million gallons per year and currently treats an annual discharge volume of 439.11 million gallons. Under the US Clean Water Act, facilities of this scale are required to operate under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, which set effluent limits to protect water quality. The plant's secondary treatment level meets the minimum federal standard for municipal wastewater treatment. The treated effluent from MAURY CITY STP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Mississippi River basin. This region is part of the larger Mississippi River watershed, which supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and provides drinking water for millions. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in this ecologically significant river system.

The plant discharges into receiving waters that flow into the Mississippi River basin, a major hydrological system draining much of the central United States. The Mississippi River supports a wide range of aquatic life, including fish, mussels, and migratory birds. Downstream, the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrient pollution from wastewater and agriculture can contribute to hypoxic zones. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and nutrients, mitigating impacts on this sensitive downstream environment.