Wastewater Alternatives
Paul's corner
Paul Carey, PE
Principal Engineer, Wastewater Alternatives
Well, here we are, in the modern age of sustainability. I call it the modern age of sustainability because sustainable practices have been in use for as far back as history may take you. Seemingly forever, our ancestors have been using these practices to manage water resources as evidenced in part by ancient desert irrigation practices using runoff by indigenous inhabitants of the America’s and the Middle East and filtration and treatment of water in southern Asia and Europe dating back to as early as 4000 BC.
So why do we find ourselves in our modern day ecological dilemma? The modern age problem, I believe, is that the rate of population and industrial growth far outpaced the rate of sustainable innovation during the industrial revolution and beyond. It seemed to many, if not all, that our natural resources were so vast that they were in fact endless. This belief pushed sustainable innovation to the back in favor for, what was then thought of as convenient and cost effective, exploitation of energy and water resources.
We now know that these seemingly economically favorable practices were neither economical nor favorable when the affects to the environment are considered. It is well documented that these practices have had a tremendous effect on our environment, most notably air and water pollution as well as water depletion.
The good news is that sustainable innovation is catching up to industrial innovation and population growth. The sustainability movement, including wastewater and water treatment innovation, is gaining ground and we are now seeing an increase in products that offer all of us a chance to promote global ecological responsibility.
My hope is that you will see that our sustainable approach to advancing water resource management, including the use of the BioHaven® technology, provides you, personally, an opportunity to participate in sustainable innovation, accelerating its growth, while enhancing the waterways in your community.
About us ...
... Wastewater Alternatives is an engineering firm that specializes in water resource management, protection and rehabilitation. Our clients include government agencies, private business owners, local communities as well as civil/site engineers who prefer to leave these unique engineering services to a specialized consultant.
To further our commitment to sustainability we have recently become suppliers of BioHaven® Floating Islands which are floating treatment wetlands that treat the water bodies they are installed in and are recognized as the most sustainable and natural treatment practice available today.
Floating Treatment Wetlands; A Better Understanding ...
By Floating Islands International, inventors and manufacturers of BioHaven® products
BioHaven® floating islands are biomimetic, self-sustaining floating treatment wetlands that are designed to remove excess nutrients and other contaminants from lakes, streams and wastewater lagoons. The islands typically use a combination of microbial (bacteria and algae) and plant growth to effectively take up, precipitate and/or filter nutrients and other pollutants from water. FII has patented both Leviathan™ (forced circulation) and BioHaven® (natural flow) treatment systems.
BioHaven floating islands have been described as a hybrid wetland: hydraulically, they behave like a stormwater detention pond, while their treatment processes is that of a wetland. The floating matrix, plus the plant roots that hang beneath it, provide a large surface area for biofilm growth which forms an important part of the treatment “reactor.”
The microbes and macrophytes uptake nutrients and move them into and through the food chain. Suspended organic particles stick to the biofilm and become periphyton, food for scuds, nymphs and ultimately fish. Suspended inorganic solids, such as heavy metals in particulate form, slough off and settle in the benthic zone beneath the island. The island is a sink for carbon dioxide and it enables nitrates and ammonia to be removed from the water and safely converted back to Nitrogen gas. This process prevents or slows down eutrophication and keeps the aquatic system in balance.
However, as with all life forms, microbes are limited by certain primary variables, which, in this case, are surface area and circulation.
“The Wetland Effect” = surface area + circulation
Forced circulation of water through the floating island matrix to gain maximum contact with biofilm has been shown to increase the effectiveness of the floating island up to 500 percent.
BioHaven floating islands have been demonstrated to remove all the typical wastewater parameters of concern – ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, organic carbon and suspended solids — within a single island body.
When it comes to water treatment, stewarding towards nature’s process of microbial remediation represents a viable alternative to chemical solutions.
BioHaven floating islands can be installed in nearly any waterway and launched with a minimum of disturbance.
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