Lisbon Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ransom County, North Dakota

Lisbon Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Ransom County, North Dakota, serving a population of 2,154. The plant operates as a lagoon system, a common treatment method for small communities in the region, providing secondary treatment to meet state and federal standards. The plant has a designed capacity of 757.08 cubic meters per day and currently discharges an average of 681.37 cubic meters per day, indicating it operates below its design capacity. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the minimum requirements under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment, which mandates secondary treatment for most publicly owned treatment works. The treated effluent is discharged to local surface waters, contributing to the Sheyenne River watershed, which flows into the Red River of the North and ultimately into Lake Winnipeg. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this agriculturally intensive region, where nutrient management is critical to prevent downstream eutrophication.

The plant discharges into the Sheyenne River basin, part of the Red River of the North watershed that drains into Lake Winnipeg. This region is characterized by flat terrain and intensive agriculture, making nutrient loading a key concern. The secondary treatment provided by Lisbon Lagoon helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, but does not specifically target nutrients, which can contribute to algal blooms in downstream water bodies.