Overview
Basin Lagoon is a secondary wastewater treatment plant in Big Horn County, Wyoming, serving 1,285 people. It discharges 378.54 m³/day and has a designed capacity of 529.96 m³/day.
Basin Lagoon is a wastewater treatment plant located in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,285 people and operates as a secondary treatment plant, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. The plant's designed capacity is 529.96 m³/day, with an average daily discharge volume of 378.54 m³/day, indicating it operates below its full capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, Basin Lagoon employs biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting the effluent limits set by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The plant is regulated under the US Environmental Protection Agency's framework, which mandates secondary treatment for most municipal plants to protect water quality. The specific permit details are managed by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent from Basin Lagoon is discharged into local water bodies within the Big Horn Basin, which ultimately drains into the Big Horn River, a tributary of the Yellowstone River. The Yellowstone River flows into the Missouri River, which is part of the Mississippi River system, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's operations help protect the aquatic ecosystems in this semi-arid region, where water resources are critical for agriculture and wildlife.
Environmental context
Basin Lagoon discharges into local waterways within the Big Horn Basin, which feeds into the Big Horn River. The Big Horn River flows into the Yellowstone River, a major tributary of the Missouri River, which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including native fish species such as the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and is an important corridor for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protect downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.
Frequently asked questions
Basin Lagoon is located in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States, near Midway Golf Course on Midway Meadows Lane.
Basin Lagoon serves a population of approximately 1,285 people in the Big Horn County area.
Basin Lagoon discharges treated effluent into local water bodies within the Big Horn Basin, which eventually flow into the Big Horn River and the Yellowstone River system.
Basin Lagoon operates under the US Clean Water Act and is regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
In the United States, municipal wastewater treatment plants serving populations of this size typically provide secondary treatment, which includes biological processes to remove organic matter and suspended solids, meeting EPA standards.
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