Floating Treatment Wetlands: Pilot Programs for Sustainable Waterways

The provision of Floating Treatment Wetlands pilot programs for councils has been met with great enthusiasm by local communities across New South Wales – with our design teams engaging riverkeeper groups, local communities, and council engineers to learn more about these green assets.

Instead of trying to over-invest, it lets councils tailor a small solution to test whether the technology is successful.

Robert Chesterfield
General Manager NSW, Atlan Stormwater

Floating Treatment Wetlands are an innovative approach to stormwater treatment that mimics natural floating wetland islands. As plants grow on these FTW (Floating Treatment Wetlands) modules, they suspend roots in the water column to provide a network of pollution removal pathways to reduce TSS, nitrogen, phosphorus and algal blooms.

Below the water surface, the root structure of the floating wetlands becomes a habitat for micro and macro-organisms. Above the surface, there is an ecosystem that supports local flora and fauna – providing a wildlife haven for frogs, birds and fish.

Large-scale green asset programs can be a costly investment for local councils – and these pilot programs act as ongoing trials to ensure that FTW solutions align with the requirements of local water bodies and improve water quality, amenity, and beautification.

Aided by the modular design of our Floating Treatment Wetlands – a successful pilot program can become part of a larger stormwater asset by adding modules to increase the area of the FTW.

The ability to add additional modules to an existing pilot program is of great benefit for councils wishing to test the waters – and allows the design of these assets to scale to meet their growing community needs as local support and water quality outcomes emerge.

“Acceptance by residents and stakeholders aligns with local council’s desire to have community support when funding these WSUD and green assets,” says Robert.

Planting an FTW: Community Engagement

During these pilot programs, Atlan liaised with local gardening groups and community nurseries to encourage the local community to learn about stormwater treatment and to get involved with planting. This hands-on experience provides an engaging insight into the importance of stormwater management.

“The biggest issue with many FTW developments is community pushback – and education helps to overcome these barriers,” Robert continues.

“We encourage councils to engage with the community to get them involved in the planting out of the wetlands – so they know what the wetlands are about – so they understand their importance for local sustainability and healthy waterways.”

Floating Treatment Wetlands mimic natural environments and provide increased waterfront for the local community. FTWs provide increased land yield, saving vital space along the foreshore compared to traditional wetland systems, and improve land useability for stakeholders and residents.

“These systems ensure water quality benefits – reducing ecological impacts while improving environmental outcomes and beautification. If your plants are growing, your roots are growing, and it’s fixing issues in the waterbody – and councils can decide how to scale from there,” Robert concludes.

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