Overview
Bairoil South Lagoon is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving 32 people in Bairoil, Wyoming. It discharges 18.93 megaliters annually and operates under US EPA Clean Water Act regulations.
Bairoil South Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on Bitteroot Drive in Bairoil, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. Serving a small population of 32 residents, the plant provides secondary treatment for the community's domestic wastewater. The facility is situated in a rural, arid region of south-central Wyoming, characterized by high desert terrain and cold winters. The plant operates under the US Clean Water Act, administered by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard required by the EPA for municipal wastewater, ensuring removal of biodegradable organic matter and suspended solids. The facility has a designed capacity of 26.50 megaliters per year and currently discharges 18.93 megaliters annually, indicating operational capacity below design levels. The treated effluent is discharged to local drainage, likely contributing to the Great Divide Basin, an endorheic basin that does not drain to the ocean. The surrounding environment supports sagebrush steppe and wildlife such as pronghorn and mule deer. Proper treatment is essential to protect groundwater quality in this water-scarce region.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters the Great Divide Basin, a closed watershed in Wyoming's Red Desert region. This basin has no outlet to the sea, making it hydrologically sensitive to pollutant accumulation. The area supports fragile desert ecosystems, including sagebrush communities and ephemeral wetlands that provide habitat for migratory birds and pronghorn. Groundwater recharge is critical in this arid climate, and treated effluent must meet standards to prevent contamination of shallow aquifers.
Frequently asked questions
Bairoil South Lagoon is located on Bitteroot Drive in Bairoil, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States.
The plant serves a small population of 32 residents in the Bairoil community.
The plant discharges treated effluent to local drainage within the Great Divide Basin, an endorheic basin in Wyoming's Red Desert region.
The facility provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater, removing organic matter and suspended solids.
The plant operates under the US Clean Water Act, with permits issued by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. For small systems like this, secondary treatment is typically required to protect local water quality.
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