STEELE LAGOON Wastewater Treatment Plant, Steele, North Dakota

STEELE LAGOON is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Steele, Kidder County, North Dakota. It serves a small population of 715 residents and operates as a lagoon-based secondary treatment system, typical for rural communities in the Great Plains region. The plant provides secondary treatment, which meets the minimum requirements under the US Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 227.12 megaliters and an annual discharge volume of 189.27 megaliters, the facility operates below its full capacity, indicating room for future growth. As a lagoon system, it relies on natural biological processes to treat wastewater before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Missouri River watershed. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality in the semi-arid North Dakota landscape, where water resources are critical for agriculture and ecosystems.

The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Missouri River basin, which flows into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding region is characterized by prairie pothole wetlands and agricultural land, making nutrient management important to prevent downstream eutrophication. The facility's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before release.