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Shannon Litz/The R-C Ed Kleiner stands in front of his natural denitrification system
Wetlands have served as natural wastewater treatment for millennia. It's only been in the past few decades that their ability to meet water quality objectives has been seriously studied and implemented.
Ed Kleiner, a Douglas County resident who has been using a form of this natural method for five years, said constructed wetlands wastewater treatment systems could be one solution to the nitrate problem as residential densities increase in the Carson Valley.
The gray water from Kleiner's septic tank is channeled into the system, a combination of microbes and water-loving plants in two plastic-lined collection cells specially designed to isolate and remove nitrates and other harmful elements.
Over time, the health of the environment and residents drawing their water from private wells can be impacted when nitrates filter into the water table from septic systems, a common problem in rural areas.
Kleiner lives on Highway 88 south of the high school, a pastoral setting complete with a barn and winding driveway lined with green pastures.
His wetlands system is just feet from his backyard pond. The proximity of the two would be enough to curl the toes of almost any county official, but the system has been tested and the results have been impressive.
"There's no standing water, no odor, no vector problem," Kleiner said. "Landscape architects and engineers send their clients here to see the system."
He leaned against the rail of his back porch overlooking the pond. Muskrats swam from one end to the other while a pair of swallows swooped over the water to catch insects for their brood.
Dragonflies flew low over the pond and to complete the concert, a chorus of buzzing insects mingled with the plaintive calls of red-winged blackbirds and plovers.
His wetlands system is just feet from his backyard pond. The proximity of the two would be enough to curl the toes of almost any county official, but the system has been tested and the results have been impressive.
"There's no standing water, no odor, no vector problem," Kleiner said. "Landscape architects and engineers send their clients here to see the system."
He leaned against the rail of his back porch overlooking the pond. Muskrats swam from one end to the other while a pair of swallows swooped over the water to catch insects for their brood.
Dragonflies flew low over the pond and to complete the concert, a chorus of buzzing insects mingled with the plaintive calls of red-winged blackbirds and plovers.
In recent years these systems have been used on a much grander scale, the technology expanded to treat municipal wastewater, storm water, industrial, mining and agricultural wastes, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Kleiner said the technology has been used in the Leviathan Mine clean-up as well as filtering water flowing into into Lake Tahoe.
The Arcata Marsh Project in northern California's Humboldt County is just one example of a city using this technology for wastewater treatment, according to the report.
The systems do require maintenance. Kleiner said he burns off the vegetation in his collection cells once a year, but he's never had to clean out his five-year-old septic tank.
His system is gravity-fed so it doesn't require energy and it isn't centralized, he said.
Kleiner said the technology has been used in the Leviathan Mine clean-up as well as filtering water flowing into into Lake Tahoe.
The Arcata Marsh Project in northern California's Humboldt County is just one example of a city using this technology for wastewater treatment, according to the report.
The systems do require maintenance. Kleiner said he burns off the vegetation in his collection cells once a year, but he's never had to clean out his five-year-old septic tank.
His system is gravity-fed so it doesn't require energy and it isn't centralized, he said.
"Governments believe in centralization so they can treat the water and put it back," Kleiner said. "This is decentralization. The system costs a little more, but there's no increase in water or sewer rates."
These systems require a steady flow of water to keep plants alive, so constructed wetlands aren't appropriate for seasonal homes. In colder climates, larger cells are needed for freeze-prevention design, according to Toolbase Services, an information resource for the home-building industry.
Constructed wetlands offer an affordable solution in warm climates or where conventional absorption fields have failed. The collection cells can be designed in any shape so they can accommodate narrow or oddly-shaped lots. The systems can also be used where there is a high water table or low soil percolation, conditions that could stop conventional septics in their tracks, according to Toolbase.
"These systems mostly involve conventional landscaping techniques - grading and planting plus some poured-in-place concrete," Toolbase said. "The remainder is similar to a regular on-site septic system. A properly constructed and maintained wetland can last much longer than conventional septic systems."
Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.
These systems require a steady flow of water to keep plants alive, so constructed wetlands aren't appropriate for seasonal homes. In colder climates, larger cells are needed for freeze-prevention design, according to Toolbase Services, an information resource for the home-building industry.
Constructed wetlands offer an affordable solution in warm climates or where conventional absorption fields have failed. The collection cells can be designed in any shape so they can accommodate narrow or oddly-shaped lots. The systems can also be used where there is a high water table or low soil percolation, conditions that could stop conventional septics in their tracks, according to Toolbase.
"These systems mostly involve conventional landscaping techniques - grading and planting plus some poured-in-place concrete," Toolbase said. "The remainder is similar to a regular on-site septic system. A properly constructed and maintained wetland can last much longer than conventional septic systems."
Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.
