Rhame Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rhame, North Dakota

Rhame Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Rhame, Bowman County, North Dakota. It serves a small population of 169 residents, typical of rural communities in the Great Plains region. The plant operates as a lagoon system, a common and cost-effective treatment method for small agglomerations in the United States. The plant provides secondary treatment, which meets the minimum standard under the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. Its designed capacity is 37.85 million gallons per year, matching the reported discharge volume. As a small facility, it is subject to state-level NPDES permits issued by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with effluent limits for biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that drains into the Little Missouri River basin, part of the larger Missouri River watershed. This region is characterized by semi-arid climate and agricultural land use, making water quality management important for downstream ecosystems and irrigation uses.

The plant discharges into a tributary of the Little Missouri River, which flows into the Missouri River and ultimately the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. The local watershed supports mixed-grass prairie and agricultural activities, and the receiving water body is ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading. Proper treatment helps protect downstream aquatic habitats and water quality for livestock and irrigation.