Mineral Springs WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in Mineral Springs, Arkansas

Mineral Springs WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on South Mercer Street in Mineral Springs, Howard County, Arkansas. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,208 residents, providing essential sanitation services for this small community in the southwestern part of the state. The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater plants. With a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and an average daily discharge of 412.61 cubic meters, the plant operates at about 55% of its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a U.S. facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent from Mineral Springs WWTP is discharged into a local waterway that ultimately drains into the Red River basin. The Red River flows southward through Arkansas and Louisiana before emptying into the Mississippi River, which then reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting water quality in a region that supports diverse aquatic life and agricultural activities.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Red River, which flows through Arkansas and Louisiana to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic habitats, including wetlands and bottomland hardwood forests that provide critical spawning and nursery areas for fish and migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic loads, mitigating potential impacts on downstream water quality and ecosystem health.