Manitoba community transforms obsolete lagoon into a healthy wetland
Ducks Unlimited Canada is celebrating World Wetlands Day by highlighting a success story in Niverville, Man.
In 2007, the growing town was faced with the task of decommissioning its old lagoon wastewater system in favour of a more modern one.
"One of the challenges they had, there was approximately 53,000 tons of bio-solid material that would have had to have been removed," said Lisette Ross, head of Wetland Services for Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Native Plant Solutions.
She said often in these cases, bio-solid materials are physically removed by truck and spread out over farmlands to provide nutrients. However, a lack of available land in the area ruled out that option for Niverville.
"They, I think at that time, knew about the possibilities of remediating bio-solids in place, and they reached out to us," said Ross.
Ducks Unlimited partnered with the town, using plants native to the area to remove contaminants from the hazardous materials in a process called "bioremediation."
"We use plant systems to help us break down those products and turn them into something that is much safer," Ross said.
It was the first project of its kind in North America. The process took more than ten years, and was considered a success.
The remediated lagoon system was turned into safe, beautiful wetlands. It has now become an extension of an existing park system and a popular birdwatching area.
Ross said the experimental process turned out to be a lot cheaper than the traditional methods of decommissioning a wastewater lagoon, coming in at around $750,000.
She hopes Niverville's willingness to try a new approach will help other communities see the value of wetlands.
"They really have a valuable place on our landscape, whether they're a constructed system or a natural system," said Ross.
-with files from CTV's Kimberly Wertman
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.