KENSAL LAGOON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kensal, North Dakota

KENSAL LAGOON is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Kensal, North Dakota, serving a small population of 163 residents. The plant is situated in Stutsman County, part of the rural Great Plains region, and provides essential wastewater treatment for this small community. The plant employs secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 75.71 cubic meters per day and a discharge volume matching that figure, the plant operates at full capacity. As a small facility, it is subject to EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, typically administered by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the James River basin, part of the larger Missouri River watershed. This region supports agricultural activities and provides habitat for native fish and bird species. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive prairie ecosystem.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the James River, a tributary of the Missouri River, which eventually reaches the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding prairie watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species such as northern pike and walleye, and provides habitat for migratory waterfowl. Proper treatment is essential to prevent nutrient pollution that could impact downstream ecosystems.