Facultative waste stabilization pond design

The principal objectives of this paper are to outline the performance of existing lagoon systems and to evaluate several facultative waste stabilization pond design equations. To satisfy the need for reliable lagoon perform ance data, in 1974 the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored four intensive facultative lagoon performance studies. These studies were located at Peterborough, N. H.,1 Kilmichael, Miss.,2 Eudora, Kans.,3 and Corinne, Utah.4 These studies encompassed 12 full months of data collection, including four separate 30-con secutive-day sampling periods once each season. During the remaining months a mini mum of 7 days were sampled. All samples were 24-hour composites. Numerous equations have been proposed to design facultative wastewater stabilization lagoons. Design engineers must choose among these often contradictory methods when designing a facultative pond system that will provide adequate wastewater treatment at a reasonable cost. These design techniques include simple design criteria based on organic loading and hydraulic detention time, em