Hurdsfield Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hurdsfield, North Dakota

Hurdsfield Lagoon is a wastewater treatment facility located in Hurdsfield, Wells County, North Dakota. It serves a small population of 84 residents, typical of rural communities in the Great Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater before discharge. The plant has a designed capacity of 37.85 million gallons per year and discharges a similar volume annually. As a lagoon system, it relies on natural biological processes to treat wastewater. The facility operates under the US EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local surface waters, likely a nearby creek or tributary of the James River basin. The James River flows northward through North Dakota into the Sheyenne River, which eventually reaches the Red River of the North and drains into Lake Winnipeg in Canada. This watershed supports agricultural irrigation and wildlife habitats.

The plant discharges into a small watercourse within the James River basin, which ultimately drains into the Red River of the North and Lake Winnipeg. The region is part of the Prairie Pothole Region, an ecologically sensitive area with numerous wetlands that support migratory birds and diverse aquatic life. Protecting water quality in this basin is important for downstream ecosystems and agricultural water use.