SaskPower constructed wetlands

Article by: Greenhouse staff

Did you know . . . that the treated municipal waste water from the City of Estevan is used as cooling water at the Shand Power Station? During the summer months, the treated waste water travels from the City of Estevan effluent storage ponds to a 32 hectare constructed wetland system just south of the City of Estevan and north of the Boundary Dam Power Station.

And that’s where nature begins its work.

The constructed wetland is populated with cattails, bulrushes and sedges which take up nutrients from the water. These plants are important in the wetland water filtration process, but the real action occurs below the water surface and is carried on by organisms much too small to see. Bacteria, algaes and other microorganisms cover the soil and root zones of the larger plants and form a biofilm — which breaks down contaminants and encourages healthy biomass cycling. The resulting water is blended with water from the nearby Boundary Dam reservoir and pumped approximately 18km to the Shand Power Station.

Prior to the construction of the wetlands, Estevan’s treated municipal waste water was discharged into the Souris River System twice a year. The wetlands not only prevent these discharges, they also provide habitat for ducks, waterfowl, muskrats, amphibians and other water dwelling creatures, and keep soil moisture in the area high. The wetlands are also an excellent demonstration of how we can use natural systems to recycle valuable resources,like water.

If you would like more information on the SaskPower constructed wetlands check out saskpower.com. To book a tour of the site call (306)637-4259 or e-mail .