PINETOPS WWTP - Edgecombe County, North Carolina Wastewater Treatment Plant

PINETOPS WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 1,296 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or small-town community. As a secondary treatment plant, it provides biological treatment to remove organic matter and suspended solids from wastewater. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, the plant operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. This permit sets limits on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,135.62 million gallons per day, with an average discharge volume of 446.68 million gallons per day, indicating it operates well below capacity. The treated effluent from PINETOPS WWTP discharges into local streams that flow into the Tar River, a major waterway in eastern North Carolina. The Tar River eventually drains into the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The plant's operations help maintain water quality in this ecologically important river system, which supports diverse aquatic life and recreational activities.

PINETOPS WWTP discharges into tributaries of the Tar River, which flows through the coastal plain of North Carolina before reaching the Pamlico Sound. The Tar River basin supports a variety of fish species, including striped bass and American shad, and provides habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in the sensitive estuarine environment of the Pamlico Sound.