Mount Olive POTW - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Mount Olive, Mississippi

Mount Olive POTW (Publicly Owned Treatment Works) is a municipal wastewater facility located in Mount Olive, Covington County, Mississippi. The plant serves a small population of 914 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. It operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires secondary treatment for municipal plants of this scale. The plant has a designed capacity of 567.81 thousand gallons per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 238.48 thousand gallons per day, indicating operational headroom. As a secondary treatment facility, it uses biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The plant is subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Leaf River, a tributary of the Pascagoula River system. The Pascagoula River is one of the last free-flowing river systems in the contiguous United States, supporting diverse aquatic life including Gulf sturgeon and several mussel species. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in this ecologically significant watershed.

Mount Olive POTW discharges into local waterways that flow into the Leaf River, which joins the Pascagoula River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The Pascagoula River basin is a biologically diverse ecosystem, supporting species such as the Gulf sturgeon and numerous freshwater mussels. The plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality in this sensitive coastal watershed, which is important for fisheries and recreation.