Oscoda Waste Water Lagoon System

Spicer Group provided engineering, design, permitting, bidding, construction, and grant administration services for the Oscoda Township Wastewater Treatment Lagoon System Improvements. The existing aerated lagoon system, located northwest of town off Perimeter Road, discharges treated wastewater into the ground using rapid infiltration basins. The facility had not been operating at full capacity, largely due to a failed aeration system in Cell #1.

Following discussions with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Township agreed to upgrade the lagoon’s aeration system. To support the project, the Township secured a $1.15 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant and invested an additional $2.4 million.

Spicer Group’s design reconfigured the treatment process to bypass Cell #1 initially and redirect influent flow into Cell #2 using the existing piping and valves. After sludge removal, modern aeration equipment was installed in Cell #2 to improve biological treatment. From there, partially treated water flowed into Cell #3, where additional aerators enhanced treatment and initiated nitrogen removal. A curtain baffle was installed in Cell #3 to promote phosphorus settling.

A new crossover pipe directed the treated water into Cell #1, which was cleaned, retrofitted with new aerators, and repurposed as the final treatment cell. Final discharge was managed either through updated or newly installed piping and control structures, depending on available funding. These improvements modernized the facility and significantly increased its operational efficiency and compliance capacity.