Carrington Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Carrington, North Dakota

Carrington Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Carrington, Foster County, North Dakota, United States. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,065 residents and operates as a lagoon-based secondary treatment system, typical for small communities in the region. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,059.91 megaliters and discharges an average annual volume of 794.94 megaliters. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the minimum requirements under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment, which mandates secondary treatment for all publicly owned treatment works. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the James River Basin, part of the larger Missouri River watershed. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and supporting aquatic life in the region's prairie streams and wetlands.

The plant discharges into the James River Basin, which flows southward through North Dakota and South Dakota before joining the Missouri River. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic species and are important for regional agriculture and recreation. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads and organic pollutants, protecting downstream ecosystems from eutrophication and oxygen depletion.