The use of hydrologically altered wetlands to treat wastewater in coastal Louisiana

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5673514

Breaux, A M

Two major environmental problems currently affecting Louisiana are a high rate of coastal wetland loss and high levels of surface water pollution. The application of secondarily treated wastewater to wetlands is proposed to dealing with these problems. The benefits of wetland wastewater treatment include improved surface water quality, increased accretion rates to balance subsidence, improved plant productivity, and decreased capital outlays for conventional engineering treatment systems. Wetland treatment systems can be designed and operated to restore deteriorating wetlands to previous levels of productivity. Hydrologically altered wetlands in the Louisiana coastal zone are appropriate for receiving municipal and some industrial effluent. While the US EPA has determined that wetland wastewater treatment is effective in treating municipal effluent, it has discouraged the use of natural wetlands for this purpose. As a result, hydrologically altered wetlands in the Louisiana coastal zone are being neglected and ultimately lost, while scarce funds are used to construct artificial wetlands to treat municipal effluent. Effluent discharge to existing wetlands can be incorporated into a comprehensive management plan designed to increase sediment and nutrient input into subsiding wetlands in the Louisiana coastal zone. Secondarily treated effluent discharged from industrial and municipal facilities in the Louisiana coastal zone were reviewed for suitability for wetland wastewater treatment. Selection criteria for wetland treatment systems were developed for both dischargers and receiving wetlands. Designs for two potential case studies based on established selection criteria for wetland wastewater treatment systems are presented. An economic analysis of the four case studies indicates a high potential for financial savings when wetlands replace conventional engineering methods for tertiary treatment.

• Research Organization: Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5673514
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
COASTAL REGIONS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAND RECLAMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WETLANDS