Fall 2009 - Michigan Water Environment Association

committee news
MWEA lagoon committee
Lagoon Love
By William G. Ribbens, MWEA Lagoon Committee Chair, Belding WWTP
H
aving been a wastewater lagoon
operator for more than 30 years, I
have grown to realize that there is a lot
to love about lagoons. In a well-designed
lagoon system an influent of dirty, polluted
water can become clean effluent without
putting much energy or effort into it. When
I tell people I’m a lagoon operator, they
usually want to know how lagoons work. I
explain that it is all ‘nature.’ The ‘waste’ in
the water is food to many kinds of plants,
animals, bugs, and organisms that thrive in
healthy lagoons. They all work together to
clean up the water before it is discharged
into the river. As lagoon operator, my job is
to allow the water to pass through the ponds
in such a way that it is as clean as it can be
when it is discharged. That sounds easy,
but there are many ways to help or hurt
the process. It is not always clear what you
should do. So many things affect the health
of our ponds. The loading, depth, detention
time, weather, vegetation cover, sludge
depth, and many other factors all interact
to affect the final effluent. Some lagoons
have added aeration and/or chemical feed
for phosphorus removal. There are over
450 permitted lagoon systems in Michigan.
As operators, we have to help optimize the
conditions in our ponds so they become
the best ‘living filters’ they can be. We
struggle to stay in compliance with permit
limitations while looking forward to having
our water as clean as we can when it is time
to discharge.
I have found it takes constant monitoring
of conditions and parameters in each
lagoon to make good operation decisions.
Our lagoon committee meets at least once
every other month at a different lagoon
facility to discuss ideas and share each
other’s insights. Once a year we gather
some experts on topics affecting lagoon
operation to present a seminar for lagoon
operators. We appreciate vendors of lagoon
operation and maintenance related services
and equipment who have attended and
sponsored our annual seminar. I encourage
you to participate in these opportunities
to increase your knowledge and skill as
a lagoon operator. Whether you love or
(sometimes) hate your lagoons, we would
love to have you join us to share your
experience and stories. For example, have
you ever had your lagoon turn blood red
because it is so full of little red bugs, or
green as pea soup with algae or duckweed
Have you ever been out there in the evening
and listened to the sounds of hundreds of
frogs How about those snapping turtle
fights, or are they mating Have you ever
seen a hawk take out a muskrat Whatever
your experience level working with lagoons,
we can use you or help you in developing
more lagoon love.
Thanks, Bill
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