Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_07.18.08 - Index

JULY 18, 2008 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 25A
Wetlands a possible pollution solution
by Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
Testing on an experimental wetlands
project – located at sewer plant
number one in the southwest corner
of Discovery Bay – is set to begin later
this year. If successful, the project has
the potential to create not only an ecofriendly
alternative to removing pollutants
from the town’s wastewater, but
could serve as environmental model for
future generations looking for surrogate
solutions.
Sitting on approximately two acres
of previously unused dry sludge ponds –
empty since the late l980s – the emerging
wetlands have transformed the property
into a peaceful oasis of cattails and bulrushes;
an independent eco-system now
home to frogs, snails and an assortment
of birds and wildlife.
Town Manager Virgil Koehne, who
implemented the project late last year
with the support of the Community
Services District Board, sensed that the
empty parcels might one day serve a
higher purpose.
“I thought, ‘What a waste of space,’”
said Koehne. “And I immediately began
thinking about how we might be able to
make this area work environmentally;
hence the wetlands.”
And the goal? To determine if pollutants
such as copper, aluminum and
pharmaceutical products can be biologically
removed from the wastewater
as it fl ows through the facility; drawn to
the roots of the weeds, their toxins effectively
absorbed as they pass through a
naturally occurring carbon layer. About
20,000 gallons per day of partially treated
wastewater go through the wetlands
and are then returned to the treatment
plant for fi nal processing.
In layman’s terms, the pollutants
get sucked out of the water, absorbed
into the plants and are then either physically
disposed of or allowed to decay
naturally.
Armed with those objectives, a
smattering of information and a lot of
questions, Koehne contacted the civil
and environmental engineering department
at UC Berkeley to offer up a living
classroom to the students and faculty in
exchange for some expertise and advice.
Professor David Sedlak was thrilled
by the invitation. “This has been a topic
Grimes Law
Joan M. Grimes-Attorney at Law
STOP! Bankruptcy • Foreclosure • Debt Collectors • Large Garnishment
BRENTWOOD • ANTIOCH • WALNUT CREEK
Call: 888-77BKLAW for a FREE Initial Consultation
IInvesting in our community through charitable
giving is a privilege that Dow values. Dow
is seeking projects and initiatives which meet
our Community Grant Guidelines – focusing
on science, education and the environment. Our
Community Advisory Panel (CAP) members will
review submissions and winning applicants will
receive grants in amounts ranging from $2,500 to
$5,000.
To obtain the Community Grants Guidelines and
the Grant Application Form, contact pdeutsche@
dow.com. Deadline for submitting applications is
August 26, 2008.
Photo by Ruth Roberts
These experimental wetlands might one day replace traditional methods of
removing pollutants from wastewater. Here, Town Manager Virgil Koehne
measures the depth of the water in one of the wetland areas.
I’ve been interested in for over a decade,
and I’ve been particularly interested in
fi nding alternatives that are not particularly
energy heavy,” said Sedlak. “So
when Virgil got in touch with us with his
interest in Discovery Bay, we got very
excited. It’s great to be helping someone
who really wants to solve a problem
and not just leave it for someone else to
worry about.
“It just seemed like a great deal for
them and a great deal for us,” agreed
Koehne, who with the Berkeley students,
eventually planted thousands of
cattails and bulrushes along the proper-
PLUMBING INC.
Serving East Contra Costa for over 25 years
Residential ● Commercial
634-0272
LIC. #
888355
INSURED
PL & PD
ty, and then sat back while nature took
its course.
While the project appears simple
on the surface, there remain myriad unknowns,
including such matters as operational
procedures, accountability and
ultimate effectiveness. But much also
depends, said Koehne, on the California
State Water Board, which dictates
the safe levels of pollutants in water
throughout the state.
“Whether this process will remove
enough of the pollutants, we don’t
know,” said Koehne. “But if it doesn’t,
then we will have to fi nd other ways to
do it, and then rework and re-establish
things. It’s all still in the initial stages.”
Over the next few weeks, solar sensors
and probes, acting in place of electric
conduits, will be installed at various
points throughout the wetlands. The
probes will monitor and check the water
for temperature, levels of oxygen and
salinity, as well as pH levels and clarity.
The information will then be sent to
a company in Texas, and from there,
Koehne and the Berkeley students and
staff can log on for instant results.
Koehne estimates that the wetlands
project over the course of two years will
cost in the neighborhood of $300,000;
potentially millions of dollars less than
more traditional methods.
“How much we are able to remove
and control with this method remains to
be seen,” Koehne said. “However, in the
end, I truly believe the wetlands will be
better, and I also believe it’s important
to be a part of the green movement.
Will all eyes be on Discovery Bay if this
is successful? Could be. We’ll see how it
goes.”
To comment on this story, visit www.
thepress.net.
● HOME REPAIRS & SERVICE
● REMODELING
● NEW CONSTRUCTION
● SEPTIC SYSTEMS
● WATER SOFTENERS
● WATER HEATERS
● UNPLUGGING DRAIN LINES