ISSUE 7: What is the function of waste treatment lagoons ?
RESPONSE: Waste treatment lagoon designs are based on 40 years of research to optimize biological treatment processes similar to those that occur in a sewage treatment plant for BOD, odor and solids reduction. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD, oxygen required by bacteria while stabilizing decomposable organic matter, of the incoming waste is reduced by 90%. The resulting biosolids after biological digestion have much less odor and nitrogen content than the incoming untreated manure solids. Because of larger capacities, lagoons are more adaptable to shock loadings and better able to buffer biological upsets offering better treatment reliability than smaller capacity treatment systems. In addition to their treatment function, lagoons also serve as temporary storage until the treated liquids and biosolids can be land applied. This temporary storage capacity allowed swine manure treatment lagoons to contain their wastewater during Hurricane Fran without releasing millions of gallons of
