Index >> Waste Water Microbiology >>Oxidation Ponds

Oxidation Ponds - Oxidation ponds or stabilisation ponds and lagoons are used for simple secondary treatment in rural areas or industrial units. Heterotrophic bacteria degrade sewage organic matter within ponds, produced cellular material and mineral products that support the growth of algae.

Oxygen produced by algae compensate for the poor O2 conditions created by heterotrophic bacteria. The pond should be shallow, 10 feet deep, to maximise the euphotic zone for algal growth. Bacterial and algal cells settle at the bottom of pond. Effluents containing oxidised products are periodically removed