Human impact on open waters is a growing problem around the world. The largest source of river pollution in many countries is raw sewage and untreated industrial effluent discharged into free flowing canals. 

Lagoon systems are one of the most common methods of water treatment around the world. By providing extended hydraulic retention time (HRT), lagoons rely on the native biology in raw sewage to degrade organic matter. However, relying on native biological action and natural settling as a form of treatment is typically only partially successful at achieving desired effluent quality. Lagoon systems provide low operational cost alternatives but face many challenges such as malodor generation, inefficient degradation capabilities, excessive sludge accumulation and ground and surface water contamination risks (among many others).