LAWTON LAGOON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lawton, North Dakota

LAWTON LAGOON is a wastewater treatment facility located in Lawton, a small community in Ramsey County, North Dakota. Serving a population of 30, this plant is designed for small-scale municipal wastewater management in a rural setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 18.93 cubic meters, it operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which regulates discharges to surface waters. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Red River of the North basin. This river system flows northward into Lake Winnipeg in Canada, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing important habitat for migratory birds in the Prairie Pothole Region.

The plant discharges into the Red River of the North basin, which flows north through North Dakota and Minnesota into Lake Winnipeg. This watershed is part of the Prairie Pothole Region, a critical habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds. The secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads, protecting downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive area.