Village of Tickfaw Wastewater Treatment Plant - Tickfaw, Louisiana

The Village of Tickfaw wastewater treatment plant is located in Tickfaw, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. It serves a small population of 617 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. The plant is part of the municipal infrastructure managed by the village. The facility provides primary treatment, which involves physical sedimentation and skimming to remove solids and floating materials. With a designed capacity of 378.54 cubic meters per day and a current discharge volume of 340.69 cubic meters per day, the plant operates below its capacity. Under the US Clean Water Act, such facilities are regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local streams that drain into the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, ultimately reaching Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's location more than 10 km from the coast reduces direct marine impact, but its discharge contributes to the nutrient and pollutant load in the basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional fisheries.

The plant discharges into tributaries of the Tickfaw River, which flows into Lake Maurepas and then Lake Pontchartrain, a large estuarine system connected to the Gulf of Mexico. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin is ecologically sensitive, supporting diverse fish and bird populations, and is a critical migratory corridor. Nutrient inputs from wastewater can contribute to algal blooms and hypoxia in the lake, making treatment quality important for downstream ecosystem health.