I've been digging around for some time on this. It's an NPR piece on an innovative way to treat wastewater by using a system of wetlands. I'm sure there may be other small towns, municipalities and other government entities that may be using this "technology". Although it's not really technology, just some common sense, some engineering, and some earth moving. I bid on a few of these plants many years ago when I was in the water/wastewater treatment business - as a general contractor - but I never actually built one.
Note that the caption on one of the photos is incorrect. It says they started building the wetlands back in 2000, when in actuality, it was back in the 1980's. They had that much foresight that long ago to realize that water scarcity was going to be an issue. They had the vision and the determination to 'do the right thing' and 'do the thing right'.
Plus, not only is it good for water, and good for the environment, but it's good government because they are saving money (tax dollars and lower water bills) by doing it this way.
Kudos to those folks!
Anyway, here's the link - it's titled "Georgia Wetlands Offer Cure for Drought", by Kathy Lohr
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90043021
Check it out.
P.S.
I hope everyone realizes that when you flush your toilet (and shower and sink "grey" water), it goes through a piping system to the treatment plant (or reclamation facility as they are calling them now) where it is treated (many nasty nasty stages/processes), then chlorinated, dechlorinated (although now the technology is UV irradiation and/or ozonation systems), and then it runs into the nearest river or stream as "effluent". You can't drink it at that point. And I wouldn't be doing any fishing for many miles downstream.
I hope everyone also realizes that we draw our municipal/drinking water from the same rivers, or a lake, or a reservoir. The drinking water is filtered through multiple sand beds, ozonated and/or UV'd and then chlorinated and flouridated for your drinking and bathing pleasure.
They are smart enough to build the water treatment intake structures UPSTREAM from the poo-poo plant effluent.
But still. You wouldn't believe what's in our water. More on this later.
No comments:
Post a Comment