Noonan Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Noonan, North Dakota

Noonan Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located on State Highway 5 in Noonan, Divide County, North Dakota. Serving a population of approximately 121 residents, this plant is designed to handle the community's domestic wastewater needs. As a small-scale facility, it plays a vital role in maintaining public health and environmental standards in this rural area of the northern Great Plains. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater facilities. With a designed capacity of 151.42 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 75.71 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), facilities like Noonan Lagoon must obtain permits that set limits on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Noonan Lagoon is discharged into local surface waters, which ultimately drain into the Souris River basin. This river system flows north into Canada and is part of the larger Hudson Bay drainage. The plant's operation helps safeguard water quality in this transboundary watershed, supporting aquatic life and downstream uses.

Noonan Lagoon discharges into local streams that are part of the Souris River basin, which flows northward through North Dakota into Manitoba, Canada, and eventually into Hudson Bay. The region's semi-arid climate and agricultural land use make water quality management critical for sustaining aquatic ecosystems and meeting downstream water quality standards. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and nutrients, protecting the ecological health of the Souris River and its tributaries.