Northwood Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Northwood, North Dakota

Northwood Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Northwood, North Dakota, serving a population of approximately 1,045 residents. The plant is situated along State Highway 15 in Grand Forks County and operates as a lagoon system providing secondary treatment. As a small-scale facility, it plays a key role in managing the community's wastewater needs. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 378.54 megaliters per year and a discharge volume of 302.83 megaliters per year, the facility operates within its capacity. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program administered by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The treated effluent from Northwood Lagoon is discharged into local drainage channels that flow into the Red River of the North, which ultimately drains into Lake Winnipeg in Canada. The Red River Basin supports diverse aquatic life and is an important agricultural and ecological resource in the region. The plant's operations help protect water quality in this transboundary watershed.

Northwood Lagoon discharges into tributaries of the Red River of the North, which flows northward into Lake Winnipeg. The Red River Basin is a flat, fertile plain that supports extensive agriculture and wetlands. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and protects downstream ecosystems, including fish habitats and migratory bird routes in the basin.