Category: Wastewater Lagoon Blog

Ammonia

July 13, 2022 5 min read

Summer Ammonia Removal: Optimizing Warm-Weather Nitrification

Summer ammonia removal via nitrification is less of a challenge for lagoons than cold weather ammonia removal, as nitrifying bacteria are temperature sensitive and thrive in warmer water. The interplay between algae and bacteria, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature determines the pathway and rate of nitrification. Watch our video, 6 Key Factors for Nitrification, then […]

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Algae

June 29, 2022 5 min read

Lagoon Cyanobacteria: The Blue-Green Algae Blooms of Summer

Lagoon cyanobacteria can cause a thick scum on the surface of the water and nasty odors. During the summer, the combination of sunlight, warm water temperatures, high nutrient loads, and predation by higher life forms like Daphnia and rotifers can lead to rampant algal growth, or blooms. Cyanobacteria are classified by the EPA as harmful algal blooms, or […]

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Ammonia

June 15, 2022 5 min read

The Hidden Costs of Replacing a Lagoon with a Mechanical Plant

When confronted with new effluent limits, many municipalities feel their only option is to scrap their otherwise adequate lagoon system and replace it with a mechanical plant, such as an activated sludge, SBR, or MBBR treatment process. There’s a better option: A lagoon can be upgraded to remove ammonia, total nitrogen, and phosphorus; treat BOD […]

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Aeration

June 1, 2022 3 min read

Lagoon Aeration System Design: Calculations and Common Pitfalls

To ensure wastewater treatment objectives are met, a lagoon aeration system design must be customized for its specific application. In this video, Patrick Hill outlines the facility details we use to calculate aeration requirements and customize a lagoon aeration system design. He’ll also review common pitfalls and often-overlooked factors that can result in insufficient treatment. Watch […]

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May 11, 2022 5 min read

Lagoon Lemna: Pros and Cons of Duckweed in a Wastewater Pond

Lagoon lemna, or duckweed, has been a popular topic on our Lagoons Do It Better Facebook group. That’s because, like algae and sludge, duckweed is just one of those things that comes with the territory. In this two minute video from our Lagoons Do It Better channel on You Tube, Patrick Hill gives the lowdown […]

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April 28, 2022 4 min read

Lagoon Pests: Coping with Invasive Species

We hope you were able to participate in our last live webinar, Lagoon Pests: Coping with Invasive Species. If not, you can watch it at your convenience on our Lagooniversity portal—it’s preapproved for CEU credit in many states. Read on for a brief review of topics from the webinar.  Pouch Snails Pouch Snails are a […]

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Odor Aeration

March 22, 2022 7 min read

Spring Lagoon Odors: Can Lagoon Circulators Prevent Them?

It’s spring! The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, and all the solids that settled to the bottom of the wastewater lagoon over the winter are getting dislodged, releasing sludge and gases that create spring lagoon odors. For many municipalities, the spring and fall lagoon turnovers with their accompanying foul odors are just signs […]

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Case Studies Aeration

December 8, 2021 5 min read

Lagoon Aeration Upgrade: Case Study of Danielsville, GA

A lagoon aeration upgrade can improve treatment and save thousands of dollars in energy, operations, and maintenance costs. Because Triplepoint aerators are portable, the retrofit can be completed with minimal operational disruption and leverage the existing blower and header infrastructure.  Watch our video case study and read below to learn how one Georgia city upgraded their […]

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Case Studies Ammonia

October 14, 2021 6 min read

Ammonia Case Study featured in TPO Magazine

Our ammonia case study of the NitrOx installation in De Soto, IA, is featured in the October 2021 issue of Treatment Plant Operator magazine! Read the story below to learn how Dan Van Langen, De Soto’s director of Public Works, teamed up with Triplepoint to cost-effectively meet the city’s low ammonia limits. Getting to Zero […]

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Ammonia

June 24, 2021 5 min read

Summer Lagoon Nitrification: Optimizing Warm-Weather Ammonia Removal

Nitrification is the most common way to biologically remove ammonia in wastewater lagoons. In this process, ammonia treatment occurs via bacteria already present in the water. These bacteria break down the ammonia and eventually promote the release of nitrogen gas into the atmosphere. The end result is that your wastewater lagoon ammonia is nitrified, resulting […]

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Aeration Case Studies

March 24, 2021 7 min read

Low Maintenance Lagoon Aeration Case Study

Six Years Ago, this Oregon Wastewater District Was Promised 40% Lower Energy Costs. Today, They’re Still Saving and Their Triplepoint Aerators Are Nearly Maintenance Free. Sally Bratton is a native of Klamath Falls, Oregon, a rural community some 25 miles north of the California state line. She joined the South Suburban Sanitary District (SSSD) 20 […]

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Aeration

March 3, 2021 6 min read

Lagoon Aeration Efficiency: Understanding the Alpha Factor

The alpha factor is the single most elusive, overlooked, and abused element in the design of lagoon aeration systems. It is a catch-all factor used in the Field Transfer Efficiency equation to correct for the difference between clean water ASCE testing and “dirty” water use. It corrects for aeration type, bubble size, and wastewater contaminants, […]

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