Effect of In-Lake Water Quality on Pollutant Removal in Two Ponds

Abstract

An extensive field study examined pollutant removal in two regional wet detention ponds near High Point, N.C. Substantial differences in influent pollutant concentrations between the ponds caused significant differences in pond water quality and pollutant removal efficiency. In Davis Pond, influent fecal coliform and nutrient concentrations were high because of several large dairy farms in the watershed, resulting in hypereutrophic conditions as evidenced by high chlorophyll-a concentrations, high midday pH values and supersaturated midday oxygen concentrations. In Piedmont Pond, influent fecal coliform and nutrient concentrations were much lower, resulting in mesotrophic to slightly eutrophic conditions. Both ponds thermally stratified and developed an anaerobic hypolimnion. In Davis Pond, annual pollutant removal efficiencies for total suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, total organic carbon, total phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, nitrate/nitrite, total ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen were 56%, 32%, 15%, 41%, 54%, 16%, 2%, and 11%, respectively. In Piedmont Pond, annual pollutant removal efficiencies were 20%, 30%, 27%, 40%, 15%, 66%, −64%, and 36%, respectively.