The Muskegon County Wastewater Management System is a lagoon impoundment, spray irrigation facility which treats about 102,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day and irrigates 2,160 hectares of corn land. About 60% of the flow is industrial. Data was collected over a three year period to determine the changes from background conditions of the native infertile sandy soil as wastewater was irrigated and crops grown. Data analyzed include major crop nutrient elements and heavy metals, the soil physical properties and electron capturing organic chemical species. The knowledge gained was used to estimate the useful life of the system for removing critical contaminants such as phosphorus and metals relative to the amounts of contaminants and wastewater applied. With proper management phosphorus can be removed by soils and crops for at least fifty years. Removals of trace organics from the wastewater occurred in storage lagoons and as the water passed through the soil mantle, however, with partial pass through of certain organics occurring when the wastewater application rate was excessive. This system apparently became more effective with time in removing many of these trace organic chemicals.