A Study of Two Facultative Lagoons for Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Iowa

Two 2-celled facultative lagoons, comparable in design and serving small communities in rural Iowa, were studied for seven consecutive summer weeks. Chemical and physical parameters of water quality were monitored in samples taken from influent and effluent structures and at two depths and three to six locations in each cell. The composition and density of the phytoplankton was monitored, and total and fecal coliform counts were made. A diurnal study showed wide fluctuations in the chemical composition of influent wastewater. The quality of effluent water was comparable for the two lagoons although one was loaded to design capacity and the other to half capacity. During the study period, both lagoons met the Iowa standards and approached the EPA standards