Our proposal to divert the outfall from the Faversham sewage works into a reed bed system gained a lot of positive support, however further findings have shown some drawbacks, reports Eldon Hinchliffe. Reeds spread very quickly and clog up the system and therefore need to be managed. Traditionally this was done by hand-reaping the reeds for thatch but we now doubt this is feasible. With the life span of a reed bed anywhere between 5-15 years, depending on the quantity of ‘nutrition’ in the water, we do not see this as sustainable.
Another plant-based system that aims to remove contaminants from sewage is a Wetland Ecosystem Treatment. WET systems are designed to use natural processes involving wetland vegetation, soils and their associated microbes to purify polluted water and produce a usable and marketable end product such as willow wands for basket making.
Benefits of a WET system include:
We believe that with these benefits, a WET system would be more attractive than reed beds and much easier to manage.
History of Faversham Creek by Arthur Percival – Part 10 A look at the history of the Creekside. In this series of features on the Creek let’s now start a stroll along its banks to see how its town reach...
History of Faversham Creek by Arthur Percival – Part 9 We have seen how the Creek’s viability as a commercial waterway was in jeopardy after the opening of Whitstable Harbour in 1832 and how it was successfully revived at the...
History of Faversham Creek by Arthur Percival – Part 8 In Part 7, we recorded how in 1878 the £1,500 cost of the new (present) Creek bridge was shared equally between the Faversham Navigation Commission, the Faversham Pavement Commission (a...
History of Faversham Creek by Arthur Percival – Part 7 By the 18th century there was a bridge at the head of the Creek, by the north end of Stonebridge Pond, linking West Street via Flood Lane with Brent Hill....
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