Data were collected to test theories advanced during a Contested Case Hearing to expand treatment capacity of the City of Brighton wastewater treatment facility. The lake historically developed nuisance blooms of cyanobacteria associated with excessive phosphorus and nitrogen limitation. The new wastewater treatment facility reduced phosphate discharge and provided increased concentrations of nitrate. A case study narrative describes the scientific and legal aspects of the case. Data collection and analysis pointed to the presence of a cryptic source of phosphorus income other than from the influent streams, possibly from undocumented septic waste discharges.
