CHURCHS FERRY LAGOON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Grand Harbor, North Dakota

CHURCHS FERRY LAGOON is a wastewater treatment facility located near Grand Harbor in Ramsey County, North Dakota. Serving a small population of 12, this plant is part of the rural wastewater infrastructure in the northern Great Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 37.85 cubic meters, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Hudson Bay watershed via the Red River of the North. The surrounding area features prairie pothole wetlands and agricultural land, making proper wastewater treatment essential for protecting local water quality and downstream ecosystems.

The plant discharges into the Devils Lake Basin, a closed basin that drains into the Sheyenne River, a tributary of the Red River of the North. The Red River flows north into Lake Winnipeg and eventually into Hudson Bay. The region's flat topography and seasonal flooding make nutrient management critical to prevent eutrophication in downstream lakes and wetlands.