Section WWTP and Collectors - Secondary Treatment Plant in Section, Alabama

Section WWTP and Collectors is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Section, Jackson County, Alabama. It serves a small population of 79 residents, reflecting its role as a local-scale infrastructure asset in rural northeastern Alabama. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 113.56 units and an average daily discharge of 37.85 units, the facility operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variability. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that drain into the Tennessee River basin, ultimately reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's inland location, more than 50 km from the coast, reduces direct marine impact but still contributes to the overall water quality of the downstream river system.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Tennessee River, which flows through Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky before joining the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The Tennessee River basin supports diverse aquatic life, including several species of freshwater mussels and fish. Maintaining secondary treatment standards helps protect these ecosystems from nutrient pollution and pathogens.