For the past several months, the wastewater treatment plant north of Saratoga has been dealing with something of a mystery.

The enigma was first raised by Director of Public Works Jon Winter during the January 5 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council and again during the January 13 meeting of the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB). According to Winter, the wastewater lagoon north of town had seen high levels of biochemical oxygen demand in the effluent of the lagoon since March 2020.

Biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD, is the amount of oxygen needed or demanded by aerob...