We’re already off to a very rocky start for this year’s hurricane season. As we track storms and prepare ourselves for the season, we want to bring to your attention the tremendous effects that stormwater has on our environment when left untreated. In this blog, we’ll explain the challenges that our planet is facing and how Martin Ecosystems is a part of the solution.
The Challenge
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation and is soaked into the soil or held on the surface in streams, rivers, and other waterbodies, creating a challenge for communities everywhere. Many of our coastal waters, estuaries, rivers, streams, and lakes are defective as a result of pollution and/or physical alterations, with phosphorus and nitrogen pollution being just one of the problems.
This problem is so bad that the EPA reports that 55% of our nation’s rivers and streams do not support healthy populations of aquatic life. The demand for clean water continues to increase, therefore increasing the demand for cost-effective solutions to improve the environment.
The Solution
Floating Treatment Wetlands are a part of the solution. FTW is an innovative green infrastructure tool that provides stormwater treatment, value to communities, and cost competitiveness. With a strong background based on science and independent research, the FTW system improves stormwater naturally, while also improving habitats and aesthetic value.
Studies Prove that FTW are Highly Effective in Stormwater Treatment
- Pasco County Master Reuse System
Pasco County, in Florida, has a vision to serve over 25,000 residential reclaimed water customers, and they are currently serving 12,000. The County is facing the challenge of lowering total nitrogen concentrations in their reclaimed water. One strategy they have pursued is to passively use storage facilities to reduce total nitrogen.
As a possible storage system enhancement, our Floating Wetland Islands (FWI) were studied in an 18-month controlled study. The results revealed that total nitrogen treatment was superior with the presence of Floating Wetland Islands! Removal efficiency for total nitrogen was measured to be approximately 63% during the study. Average total nitrogen concentrations were reduced on average from 6.4 mg/L to 2.4 mg/L.
Source: CH2MHILL
- Field Study Trial
A field trial study with side-by-side monitoring of two parallel stormwater treatment ponds, one of which contained a floating treatment wetland (FTW), was carried out to assess the benefit of retrofitting a conventional retention pond with a FTW. Inflow and outflow event mean concentrations (EMCs) were quantified and used to assess the overall pollutant removal efficiency of each system.
Findings show that a FTW can significantly improve the runoff water quality and thus reduce the impact on the receiving environment! The present study reveals that a pond retrofit with a FTW would be more efficient than a conventional retention pond, exhibiting a 41% (for total suspended solids – TSS), 40% (for particulate zinc – PZn), 39% (for particulate copper – PCu) and 16% (for dissolved copper – DCu) lower effluent EMC.
Source: Ecological Engineering
Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTW) are an innovative solution engineered to enhance the natural processes that occur between water, plants, and micro organisms in order to remove contaminants from wastewater and stormwater in a passive and natural way. Click here to read in depth more about how this product works to clean water beneath the surface.
