New Houlka POTW West Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mississippi

New Houlka POTW West is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Industrial Drive in New Houlka, Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The facility serves a population of approximately 969 residents, classifying it as a small community system within the state's wastewater infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal facilities discharging into surface waters. With a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 473.18 cubic meters per day, the plant operates below its design capacity, indicating adequate headroom for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that ultimately drain into the Tombigbee River basin, part of the larger Mobile River system flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, ensuring compliance with water quality standards to protect downstream aquatic ecosystems.

The plant discharges into small tributaries of the Tombigbee River, which flows southward to join the Mobile River and empty into Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse freshwater and estuarine habitats, including important fisheries and migratory bird routes. The secondary treatment provided helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting water quality in the receiving streams and downstream environments.