Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Campus Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
Advisor 1
Jennifer G. Becker
Committee Member 1
Robert M. Handler
Committee Member 2
Ishi M. Keenum
Committee Member 3
David W. Watkins
Abstract
Lagoon-based wastewater treatment systems are common in small, rural communities. Because of the large number of lagoon treatment systems in the U.S., they have the potential to substantially impact the water quality in surface water bodies. Although lagoon systems have many advantages, it can be difficult to meet standards for total suspended solids and total biochemical oxygen demand due to the growth of algae, and increasing demand for wastewater nutrient removal creates an additional challenge for lagoon-based treatment systems. These problems are exacerbated in cold climates. In this study, the impact of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) on the performance of an aerated lagoon wastewater treatment system in Copper Harbor, MI, was evaluated as part of an overall project focusing on improving methods for monitoring and treating wastewater in lagoons in cold climates. This was achieved by monitoring key wastewater constituents throughout the treatment train, which includes two lagoons operated in series. The system was monitored both with (2024 and 2025) and without (2023) FTWs installed in the secondary lagoon. In 2024, the FTWs appeared to increase nitrification in the secondary lagoon, and a noticeable increase in nutrient and suspended solids concentrations occurred following harvesting of the plants. In 2025, effluent total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations decreased and reached the lowest concentrations measured during the three-year period. Other factors, including improved management of the wastewater treatment plant, may have contributed to the observed changes, but it appears that the FTWs had a modest and positive impact on the performance of the lagoons in Copper Harbor, MI.
Recommended Citation
Smyth, Eli W., "Experimental Evaluation Of The Impact Of Floating Treatment Wetlands On The Performance Of A Lagoon-Based Wastewater Treatment System In Copper Harbor, Michigan", Campus Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2025.