What Is Lagoon Cleaning and How Does It Work?

If you live in a community that uses a wastewater lagoon, you might have wondered what function lagoons serve, why they need to be cleaned and how that cleaning works. Gullett Sanitation Services Inc is proud to know all about lagoon cleaning in Bethel, OH, and we thought we’d share some basic knowledge with anyone who might be curious about how our lagoon cleaning services work. Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about lagoons and lagoon cleaning.

What is a wastewater lagoon?

Many rural communities in Ohio and elsewhere might not be connected to a large wastewater treatment facility. So instead of improperly disposing of their wastewater, these communities use wastewater lagoons.

Wastewater lagoons use sophisticated chemical, biological and mechanical systems to treat wastewater, and they are very effective and commonly used for large ranch homes as well as entire small towns and municipalities. Lagoons are generally made from clay or another type of synthetic liner, and they are a very environmentally friendly form of wastewater treatment.

However, just as with any wastewater treatment system, lagoons often grow dirty and need to be cleaned. Here’s a look at how that happens.

Why do lagoons need to be cleaned?

Just as your toilet needs to be cleaned every week or so, wastewater lagoons also frequently fill up with sludge, silt and organic waste materials that do not wash away. Common fillers like grass, leaves, animal waste and waterfowl will speed up the dirtying of a lagoon, and once it’s dirty, complications can arise.

Just as with a septic drain field, the most common sign that a lagoon needs to be cleaned is when it is overflowing. Other common problems caused by too much grime and waste in a lagoon include heavy algae and cattail growth, toilets that flush more slowly than usual and a bad odor in the air. These problems can prove irritating for those who use lagoons as their wastewater treatment systems. Fortunately, regular cleaning is easy to maintain.

How are lagoons cleaned?

Lagoon cleaning is a simple, methodical process. First, the lagoon is completely drained of all water. Next, the sanitation service will use a bulldozer, front-end loader, or backhoe to remove the built-up grime and sludge from the lagoon. The waste will then be transported to the nearest public wastewater treatment facility.

Next, the pipes, lining and other parts of the lagoon’s system will be thoroughly cleaned, and the sanitation workers will refill the lagoon. The water must reach a depth of at least two and a half feet before the lagoon can be used again.

Now that you know a bit more about lagoons, hopefully you can be more appreciative of your own lagoon wastewater treatment system. If you have any questions about wastewater treatment, wastewater lagoons or lagoon cleaning in Bethel, OH, we hope you’ll contact the team at Gullett Sanitation Services Inc so that we can provide you with more information about our quality services and affordable prices. We look forward to hearing from you!

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