RALEIGH POTW - Morton, Mississippi Wastewater Treatment Plant

RALEIGH POTW is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Morton, Scott County, Mississippi, United States. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,558 residents and operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which governs wastewater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level required for most municipal facilities in the United States. With a designed capacity of 757.08 units and an average daily discharge of 151.42 units, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variability. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body, likely a tributary of the Pearl River basin, which flows south through Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location inland, over 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the overall water quality of the regional watershed, supporting downstream aquatic ecosystems.

The plant's discharge enters a local stream within the Pearl River watershed, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico. This region supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and invertebrates, and the plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality by reducing pollutants before discharge. The inland location minimizes direct coastal impact, but cumulative effects from multiple discharges in the basin require ongoing monitoring.