Oakes Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Oakes, North Dakota

Oakes Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Oakes, North Dakota, a small city in Dickey County. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,856 residents, providing essential sanitation services for the community. The plant operates at the secondary treatment level, which is the standard required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater treatment. With a designed capacity of 605.66 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 492.10 thousand cubic meters per year, the facility operates below its capacity, indicating room for future growth. The plant is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which sets limits on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Oakes Lagoon is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the James River basin, part of the larger Mississippi River watershed. This discharge supports downstream aquatic ecosystems and contributes to the overall water quality in the region. The plant's inland location and secondary treatment help mitigate environmental impacts on the surrounding prairie landscape.

Oakes Lagoon discharges into local streams that flow into the James River, a tributary of the Missouri River, which eventually reaches the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The plant's effluent contributes to the base flow of these water bodies, supporting aquatic life in a region characterized by agricultural runoff and seasonal variability. The secondary treatment process reduces organic pollutants and suspended solids, helping to maintain water quality in the downstream environment.