Lagoons and stabilization ponds are one of the most important units that play a very important in waste water and affluent treatment. This article discusses some of the roles that this mode of waste water treatment plays
The oxidation ponds are also referred to as stabilization ponds and they are used to treat raw incoming waste water. The method employs the use of algae, sunlight and air. However, an artificial aeration pump can be used to help the process. The two terms” ponds and lagoons” are used when referring to the water stabilization in the ponds but they have a slight difference in the actual physical dimensions of the lagoon. A stabilization pond is slightly larger than the lagoon. For the efficiency of the lagoon, it is fitted alongside with a secondary pond to filter the suspended particles that are present in the wastewater. There are some benefits that come with using the lagoon.
The wastewater that comes into the lagoon does not necessarily need to be treated with a preliminary treatment method. The design is very simple to install which significantly reduce the cost that is incurred in the operation of the system and its maintenance. Because the discharge can be controlled, there will be no need to employ a further treatment process if some conditions are met.
Due to the advantages that come with installing a lagoon, it is a very efficient effluent treatment method where the quality is not of great concern but cost is the most considered factor. However, the treatment can have a bad odor hence it needs to be installed away from residential areas. When installing the system, semi permeable blocks need to be installed on the lining of the ponds to protect the water table from waste water seeping through. The lagoons require a large area to accommodate the ponds. However, mechanical aerators can be installed into the system and they will significantly reduce the area of land win which the lagoons are constructed and at the same time reducing cost.
To increase the efficiency of the system, the water stabilization ponds can be mechanically supplied with oxygen to increase its volume and this significantly improve the treatment process. The ponds can also receive the oxygen through the natural air and they will be termed to as aerobic ponds. The waste water is degraded biologically through the combination of both aerobic and anaerobic microorganism’s actions. This is a very suitable environment for the microorganisms and they accumulate on the bottom layer of these facultative ponds. There are other facultative microorganisms that take part in the degradation process because they are able to blossom in both the aerobic and the anaerobic environs.
Due to the advancement in technology and availability of modern cleaning tools, it has become very easy and inexpensive to clean the lagoons in the public facilities. There are some agencies that offer these cleaning services and they are private owned or government organization. They have highly trained and experienced staff in this field.