LIGNITE LAGOON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lignite, North Dakota

LIGNITE LAGOON is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Lignite, Burke County, North Dakota. The plant serves a small population of 155 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. It operates as a lagoon system, a common treatment approach for small communities in the northern Great Plains. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 151.42 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 75.71 m³/day, the facility operates at roughly half its capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a small system, it is likely regulated under the U.S. EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent from LIGNITE LAGOON is discharged into local surface waters that ultimately drain into the Souris River basin. The Souris River flows north into Canada, eventually reaching Hudson Bay. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water quality in this transboundary watershed, which supports agricultural uses and wildlife habitat.

The plant discharges into the Souris River watershed, which flows northward through North Dakota into Manitoba, Canada, and eventually into Hudson Bay. This transboundary basin is ecologically important for migratory waterfowl and supports agricultural irrigation. The secondary treatment provided by the plant reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping maintain water quality in the river system.