Anoxic wastewater ponds can help treat sewage by removing harmful pathogens. The amount of organic matter in the ponds affects how well pathogens are removed, with higher temperatures helping the process. Other factors like light, pH, and oxygen levels also play a role. Anoxic ponds perform similarly to anaerobic and facultative ponds in pathogen removal, so additional treatment in maturation ponds may be needed for safe irrigation use.