NOVELTY - Disposing of waste comprises forming at least one primary waste pond partially constructed from earthwork and positioned within an outer pond that overlays the primary waste pond surrounding at least an upper lateral portion of it, and establishing a stable microbiological fermentation zone within each primary was pond.    USE - The method is useful for disposing of organic waste and wastewater (e.g. sewage). The methane produced can be used as a fuel.    ADVANTAGE - The method for waste treatment is simpler, safer, and less costly than the current method. The method eliminates the need to remove, handle, and dispose of sludge residual over a long period of time, usually several decades. This advantage is particularly important because of new pollution control legislation that requires grit, floatable materials and fresh or partially stabilized sewage sludge, unless heat treated or heavily disinfected with chlorine, to be regarded as highly infectious and potentially toxic or hazardous. The method achieves purification and enrichment of methane gas emerging from the zones of the fermentation; reduction, precipitation and removal of heavy metals; immobilization of parasites; bio-degradation of many toxic compounds and significant removal (at least 60%) of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). As the fermentation zones in advanced facultative ponds (AFPs) is constructed of earthwork and plastics, they are sufficiently inexpensive that they can be made large enough to permit almost infinite retention and very complete methane fermentation of the settleable volatile solids. The method controls sulfide odors from methane fermentation. The method biologically increases pH near the pond surface, thus retaining hydrogen sulfide in solution in the pond water. The biological increasing of the pH level near the pond surface increases the rate of die-away of pathogenic bacteria. The method transforms proteins and other nitrogen compounds to nitrogen gas and detoxifies chlorinated hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. The method captures and stores gases evolved from methane fermentation, and removes heavy metals, while establishing meromixis in fermentation cells or zones within primary wastewater ponds.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Disposing of waste comprises forming at least one primary waste pond partially constructed from earthwork and positioned within an outer pond that overlays the primary waste pond surrounding at least an upper lateral portion of it, and establishing a stable microbiological fermentation zone within each primary was pond. At least one of the primary waste ponds has a bottom that is at least 6 meters below a surface of the outer pond and is at least partially separated from the outer pond by a wall. The microbiological methane fermentation zones comprises facultative heterotrophic bacteria and methane bacteria.