PERMIT RATIONALE FOR REISSUANCE
Town of Pope Sewer District 
Panola County
Courtland, Mississippi
Water NPDES No. MS0043630
November 2025

I.	CLASSIFICATION –Municipal NPDES Minor 

II.	DESCRIPTION OF WASTEWATER – Domestic / Municipal Wastewater

III.	DESCRIPTION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT – Wastewater is collected and treated by means of a conventional three-celled lagoon followed by chlorine disinfection and dechlorination.  No increase in flow is proposed within the application.

IV.	RECEIVING WATERS – Long Creek.  The receiving water is located within the Yazoo River Basin, and is classified as Fish and Wildlife.  Long Creek does not appear on the current State of Mississippi 303(d) list impaired waterbodies. The discharge is listed in a TMDL for nutrient and organic enrichment / low do for the Yocona River. The TMDL requires quarterly monitoring of nutrients (Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen). The facility will be required to report the percent removal for suspended solids.

At the point of discharge the 7Q10 for the receiving stream is 1.30 cfs during the summer (May-Oct) and 2.60 cfs during the winter (Nov-Apr).  The instream wastewater concentration at the point of discharge can be determined by the following calculation:

IWC = {(Qw)/ (Qw + Qr)}*100

	Where, Qw = Design flow of the wastewater treatment facility, 0.187 MGD or 0.29 cfs
		 Qr = Receiving stream 7Q10, 1.30 cfs summer & 2.60 cfs winter.

IWC (summer) = {(0.29 cfs)/ (0.29 cfs + 1.30 cfs)}*100 = 18.2%
IWC (winter) = {(0.29 cfs)/ (0.29 cfs + 2.60 cfs)}*100 = 10%

V.	APPLICABLE GUIDELINES – 11 Mississippi Admin Code pt. 6, Municipal Facility Guidelines (Technology), State of Mississippi Water Quality Criteria (MSWQS), Wasteload Allocation (WLA)

VI.	SUMMARY OF LIMITATIONS –

Parameter			Flow					Basis
Flow				0.187 MGD				Design
BOD5				30 mg/l (Max Monthly Average)	WLA
BOD (Percent Removal)	65% Minimum				Technology
Minimum DO			6 mg/l					WLA
Ph. I NH3-N			10 mg/l (Max Monthly Average)	WLA
Ph. 2 NH3-N			7 mg/l (Max Monthly Average)	WLA
TSS				90 mg/l (Max Monthly Average)	Technology
TSS (Percent Removal)	Report					Technology
E. Coli				126 Col./100 ml			WLA
Chlorine, Total Residual
•	May-Oct		0.06/ 0.09 mg/l			
•	Nov-Apr		0.09/ 0.16 mg/l			
pH				6.0 – 9.0 SU				WLA
	Nitrogen, Total 		Report					WLA
	Phosphorus, Total 		Report					WLA

VII.	CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS PERMIT-

The WLA established a new ammonia limit. The new ammonia monitoring and limitations are reflected in the proposed draft permit.

The summer seasonal chlorine for the summer is supposed to be 0.06 mg/l monthly average. This parameter was changed to reflect that limitation.

The following was added to the proposed draft permit:

1.	The permittee shall achieve compliance with the effluent limitations specified for discharge in accordance with the following schedule:
“Upon issuance of this permit, the permittee shall achieve compliance with the effluent limitations specified for the parameters without a phase designation and for the parameters noted as Phase I; Phase II limitations shall not apply at this time. Beginning upon completion and start-up of improvements needed to comply with Phase II limitations or three (3) years after the issuance of the permit, whichever comes first, the permittee shall achieve compliance with the effluent limitations specified for the parameters without a phase designation and for the parameters noted as Phase II; Phase I limitations shall no longer apply at this time. Phase II limitations shall apply as soon as the treatment system has demonstrated compliance with the Phase II limitations, but no longer than three (3) years after the issuance of the permit. The permittee shall notify our office orally at least 24 hours prior to start-up and in writing no later than 48 hours after start-up.”
2.	The Permittee shall Submit engineering report: Due once within 6 months (180 days) after effective date. Said report shall outline the improvement activities needed to upgrade the wastewater treatment facility to comply with the site's Phase II limitations and shall include a proposed schedule for those improvement activities.
3.	The Permittee shall Submit progress report: Due annually - every 1 year after effective date. Said report shall update the Permittee's progress in addressing needed upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility in order to meet the site's Phase II limitations. Said report should also include an updated schedule for completing these activities.