Starkweather Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Starkweather, North Dakota

Starkweather Lagoon is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Starkweather, Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. The plant serves a small population of 117 residents, reflecting its role in a rural community. It operates as a lagoon system providing secondary treatment, which is typical for small agglomerations in the region. The plant has a designed capacity of 113.56 megaliters and reports an annual discharge volume of 75.71 megaliters. As a US facility, it operates under the Clean Water Act, with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard for municipal plants under federal regulations, ensuring removal of biodegradable organics and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Red River Basin, which flows north into Lake Winnipeg in Canada. The plant's location in the Prairie Pothole Region means its discharge supports local wetlands and aquatic habitats, contributing to the region's ecological diversity.

Starkweather Lagoon discharges into the Red River Basin, which flows northward into Lake Winnipeg, a large freshwater lake in Canada. The Prairie Pothole Region surrounding the plant is ecologically sensitive, providing critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and diverse aquatic species. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality in this important watershed.