RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE Press Review June 28, 2007 -
NRC.next has a story on the latest in ecological water purification. A sewage plant in the northern province of Friesland has introduced an ecological filter for the additional purification of one fifth of the sewage. A million litres of water a day is being 'treated' by water fleas and a 'purification marsh' planted with reeds.
According to the paper, the water fleas disinfect the water by eating floating particles containing E Coli bacteria and viruses, while micro-organisms on the reed stems provide additional oxygen. The project is part of the Urban Water Cycle, a collaboration between the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
Urban Water Cycle have an ambitious program.
That's pretty cool... It's a pity the old US of A would probably not even consider something like this because we are too addicted to our easy fixes in compact spaces. In a related topic, there has been a lot of study about the nature of waterways, swamps, and boggy areas as natural filters. One of mankind's errors has been in attempts to straighten out stream beds; digging trenches and canals to speed up the water flow... but really, it's the meandering back and forth that feeds more of these essential wetlands, oxygenates water more efficiently and enhances the growth of nitrifying bacteria as well as other forms of life which help to reduce or eliminate pollutants.
ReplyDeleteNonseq! Greetz! Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
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