MONTICELLO POTW - Monticello, Mississippi Wastewater Treatment Plant

MONTICELLO POTW is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Monticello, Lawrence County, Mississippi. It serves a population of approximately 1,726 residents, classifying it as a small-scale facility under U.S. EPA guidelines. The plant is situated inland, away from coastal zones, and its operations are subject to the Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the Clean Water Act for municipal facilities. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 851.72 units and a reported discharge volume of 757.08 units, indicating it operates below its capacity. As a small plant in Mississippi, it is likely regulated by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) under delegated NPDES authority. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a stream or river within the Pearl River basin, which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's inland location reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the downstream aquatic ecosystem, supporting local biodiversity and recreational uses.

The plant discharges into a receiving water body within the Pearl River watershed, which flows south through Mississippi and Louisiana before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides habitat for fish and migratory birds. The inland location minimizes direct coastal impact, but nutrient and pollutant loads from the plant can affect downstream water quality, particularly in sensitive estuarine zones near the Gulf.