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MISLEADING INFORMATION AND MYTHS ABOUT LAGOON SYSTEMS
ESC Technical Note 3
Effluent testing has been shown to be flawed when using BOD5 as a testing parameter for lagoon effluents. It is flawed because over 60% of the nation's violations have been shown to be inflated by nitrification that occurs in the BOD5 test itself. A more appropriate test is CBOD5 whereby an inhibitor is placed in the BOD bottle to prevent nitrification from occurring during the 5-day incubation period.
Effluent violations of BOD5 and TSS are usually assumed to be due to an overloaded treatment system. Most influent soluble and particulate BOD5 is gone within 6-8 hours. Approximately 95% of the effluent BOD5 and TSS are due to algae and not to untreated residual organic material from the influent as is frequently concluded.
So, if a new mechanical plant is being contemplated, additional testing may be in order to determine if the plant is overloaded or oversized. If the plant is treating the wastewater as it was designed, then determine if the plant can be managed better by using the RECIPE FOR SUCCESS discussed above.
The author wishes to express his appreciation to Dr. Lenvil G. Rich, Alumni Professor Emeritus in the Environmental Engineering and Science Department of Clemson University, Clemson SC. Some of the information and data in this article are the direct result of his many years of dedication to lagoon research.
This document is the property of Environmental Services Company, LLC. It is not to be duplicated in any form without the express written consent of the owner. It may not be used for any purpose other than its intended purpose.
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