Maple River WRD Chaffee Lagoon - Walcott, North Dakota Wastewater Treatment Plant

Maple River WRD Chaffee Lagoon is a wastewater treatment facility located in Walcott, North Dakota, within the United States. The plant serves a small population of approximately 100 people, reflecting its role in a rural community. It is situated in Richland County, near the Maple River. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 37.85 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 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, which sets effluent limits to protect water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the Maple River, a tributary of the Red River of the North. This river system ultimately drains into Lake Winnipeg in Canada, making the plant's operations relevant to downstream water quality in a transboundary watershed. The surrounding area is primarily agricultural, and the plant helps protect local waterways from nutrient pollution.

The plant discharges into the Maple River, which flows into the Red River of the North and eventually reaches Lake Winnipeg. This watershed is ecologically sensitive due to nutrient loading concerns, which can lead to algal blooms in Lake Winnipeg. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, supporting the health of downstream aquatic ecosystems.