Wastewater Lagoons/Office of Wastewater Management: U.S. EPA Issues Updated Fact Sheets for Aerated/Partial Mix and Facultative Lagoons
November 12, 2026
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Wastewater Management (“OWM”) issued September 2026 updated Wastewater Technology Fact Sheets for:
- Aerated, Partial Mix Lagoons (“APMLs”).
- Facultative Lagoons (“FLs”).
Wastewater lagoons (sometimes denominated wastewater stabilization ponds) are earthen ponds that break down wastewater using natural biological processes.
Some are designed to pass wastewater through multiple lagoons in sequence to maximize the quality of water that they discharge. They are an alternative to mechanical wastewater treatment plants.
Wastewater lagoons are frequently used by smaller and/or rural communities. This is likely to due in part to arguably lower maintenance costs and higher energy efficiency compared to other wastewater treatment options.
In 2022, the publication Wastewater Digest indicated that EPA identified 4,657 discharging lagoon systems of which 84% served small communities of less than 3,000 people.
The EPA Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet addressing APMLs provides:
- An overview of these types of lagoons.
- Benefits and challenges.
- Design criteria.
- Performance.
- Operation and maintenance.
- Costs.
- References.
- Appendix.
The EPA Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet addressing FLs provides:
- Description.
- Common operational modifications.
- Common physical modifications.
- Benefits and challenges.
- Design criteria.
- Performance.
- Operation and maintenance.
- Costs.
- References.
- Appendix.
A copy of the APMLs and FLs Fact Sheets can be found here.
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