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Aerated Lagoons Primer Need to know more? Send us an email or feel free to search our online series with our give away search engine: |
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An aerated lagoon is simply an earthen basin structure or glorified pond housing aeration equipment. It is recommended to have two lagoons in series to get maximum performance. Using aerated lagoons of this type could be the most economical installed system. However it does have limitations on ability to control BOD removals and suspended solids. Sometime, regrowth of algae can contribute to both BOD and suspended solids in the effluent and thus create difficulties. Typical post lagoon unit operations include DAF cells, sand filters. Required land area, whether available or not, cannot be taken for granted.
When considering lagoon-based systems one will make sure nitrification demands are factored in in sizing aeration equipment. This is especially crucial in higher temperature and long detention time contexts as omission of the provision may entail nitrifiers sequestering oxygen originally allocated for heterotrophs responsible for BOD removal - BOD removal will not happen as expected.
For instance, a possible aerated lagoon arrangement could be two in-series aerated lagoons or cells that would have about 3-5 days detention each. These two lagoons could be either separate basins entirely or can be a large basin divided by fabric or geotextile baffles.
Properly designed aerated lagoons are extremely attractive from a performance standpoint and a reliability standpoint. Aerated lagoons do require adequate land area and certainly cannot achieve removal targets such as those proffered by controlled systems like activated sludge plants.
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