Field test of Chitosan sock as effective flocculant for settling sediment fines
Honokōwai powerline road below preserve
Paul Sturm, Casey Gunn & Tova Callender
Join us for field trials of the chitosan sock method!
Quick glossary:
Turbidity - Turbidity is defined as the measure of relative clarity of a liquid (by the USGS). In a sample of clear water, most of the light passes through. There are few suspended particles to scatter the light. In a murky sample of water with many suspended particles, much of the light bounces and scatters.
Flocculant - Flocculation is the process of particles suspended in a liquid clumping together. A flocculant is a substance that encourages the clumping process. Particles stay suspended in water - clumps sink! This process reduces turbidity.
Chitosan - Chitosan is derived from the exoskeletons of crab, shrimp & other crustaceans. It is widely included in dietary supplements… but can this fishery by-product help the planet? We’ve been working with partners on testing chitosan as a flocculant.
OK, let’s go to the field!
6 months ago: kickout with four rows of vetiver planted
Before the trial: compost sock pre-wetted with irrigation water by sprinkler
Water released from the tank created runoff in the kickout
Samples Collected (below the second row of vetiver)
1) Before the flocculant sock was added
2) After floc-sock was added & became saturated
(floc-sock is made with burlap case in left photo)
Differences in the turbidity of the samples became evident as they settled
Using a Hach turbidity meter borrowed from Hui O Ka Wai Ola, we measured turbidity (NTU) for each of the samples
After noticing how swirling the sample seemed to make the sample post floc-sock even cleaner, we tried swirling vs. shaking and inverting for both sample types
Readings were taken in close succession as soon as the meter had locked on the previous value (all three in ~ less than a minute)
Results of turbidity testing
Comparing Settling Rates
Figure Credit: Tova Callender, West Maui Ridge to Reef
There are two orders of magnitude between the turbidity in the control and post flocculant sample, and one order of magnitude difference in settling time
Observations
It really works! Chitosan was very effective at reducing turbidity of run off immediately
Swirling movement seems to facilitate more settling, so could it be incorporated in a micro basin design (round features?)
Thanks for Joining Us!
Conversations on Resilience: Building Equity, Justice, and Climate Resilience Together
Hosted by DIY Green
Join inspiring community leaders in group conversations as we learn how to strengthen resilience with under-resourced communities.
Building Equity, Justice and Climate Resilience Together
Tues June 22
7:00 - 8:30 pm EDT
Under-resourced communities experience the greatest impacts when a crisis occurs. The COVID pandemic brought much of this to light. Food insecurity, risk of eviction, reduced access to health care, transportation challenges, and financial insecurity have all been exacerbated since the pandemic began and will become more so as the climate crisis deepens.
What solutions can be implemented to address these problems simultaneously? What can we all learn from underserved communities about how they organize during a crisis? How can we scale these solutions more quickly so that communities are better prepared and resilient?
Join us in learning with community leaders and with one another, through large and small group conversations, about the opportunities we have for strengthening community resilience.
Our community leaders include:
Grace Rivera Oven
The UpCounty HUB, Montgomery County, MarylandRoxane Prettyman and Inez Robb
First Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland
The church and its community are Baltimore’s first "Resiliency Hub"Tasnuva Khan
Muslim Voices Coalition
3 ways to Register:
Attend for free or make a donation to support our community leaders' projects.
To invite friends who don't have access to a smartphone, computer or the internet, please ask them to call us at 443-257-3209 to register and we'll provide a phone number so they can call-in to participate.
By making a donation with your registration, you will provide needed funding for personal care products and back-to-school supplies for communities in need. These communities are supported by The Upcounty HUB, First Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and Muslim Voices Coalition. If you work for or know someone at a company or organization that would be willing to donate supplies or funds to this initiative, please let us know.
We greatly appreciate whatever level or type of support you can offer!
Additionally, this series called Conversations on Resilience is being hosted by DIY Green, a startup dedicated to creating educational media about climate resilience. To support our work, you can make a donation or purchase merchandise and posters made in collaboration with Pittsburgh-based artist Michael Stefanick.
Please invite your friends to join us at this event by sharing our social media posts on our Facebook Event Page.
Event Co-Sponsors include:
To watch the recording of our first Conversation on Resilience entitled “How can we become more resilient to climate change?,” visit the new DIY Green YouTube channel.
For more information, email Louise at climatehealthsolutions@gmail.com or call 443-257-3209. You can also visit DIY Green’s website at www.diygreen.org/webinar.
We look forward to seeing you on June 22nd!
PRESS RELEASE FROM MAUI NUI MARINE RESOURCE COUNCIL
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
May 30, 2021
Contact: Anne Rillero
Anne@mauireefs.org
808.707.1078
Public Invited to Free Presentation
“Purifying Kihei’s Wastewater with Green Infrastructure as an Alternative to Injection Wells”
Wednesday, June 9, 5:30pm Hawai'i, 11:30pm Eastern Time
Free presentation on “Purifying Kihei’s Wastewater with Green Infrastructure as an Alternative to Injection Wells”
Public Invited to Free Presentation
“Purifying Kihei’s Wastewater with Green Infrastructure as an Alternative to Injection Wells”
Wednesday June 9, 5:30pm Hawai'i, 11:30pm Eastern Time
KIHEI, HI— Three new low cost, low energy, pilot green infrastructure systems that will be constructed in Kihei this summer to purify water coming out of the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility will be the topic of a free Zoom presentation by Paul Sturm, Executive Director of Ridge to Reefs, on Wednesday, June 9 at 5:30 pm. These new systems will harness the power of plants, soil and microbial activity to purify wastewater to approach drinking water standards, dramatically expanding its potential uses and reducing the need for disposal via injection wells.
This talk will be presented via Zoom as part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” These monthly virtual events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
To reserve your spot, please visit http://bit.ly/KiheiWastewater.
Sturm will be presenting plans for the three new Kihei Wastewater Disposal Pilot projects that Ridge to Reefs will construct this summer with financial support from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; assistance from John Astilla, founder and owner of Sunshine Vetiver Solutions; and construction support from Aliʻi Farm Service. The pilot projects will be aesthetically pleasing and odor-free, bearing a closer resemblance to gardens rather than treatment facilities.
“Through natural processes, we will reduce the amount of wastewater that needs to be disposed of; any remaining wastewater will come as close as possible to drinking water standards, expanding opportunities for its re-use,” says Sturm. “Our Ridge to Reefs Kihei Wastewater Disposal Pilot will be up and running within two months, ready to demonstrate the effectiveness of Ridge to Reefs' nature-based solutions as viable, affordable alternatives to groundwater injection disposal.”
“We believe this system has the potential to reduce land-to-sea pollution from wastewater, to benefit Maui’s local coral reefs,” says Sturm.
Ridge to Reefs (RTR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) formed in 2011 to help protect and restore coastal and coral reef ecosystems by reducing land-to-sea pollution with green infrastructure. The organization uses natural methods and innovative engineering to solve pressing environmental and social problems. Their expertise includes treating polluted storm and wastewater by establishing green infrastructure solutions such as constructed wetlands, rain gardens and bioreactors. Using proven natural methods and state-of-the-art engineering, Ridge to Reefs has installed systems in Maryland, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Palau and American Samoa. To learn more, visit https://www.ridgetoreefs.org/
The event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
“As a nonprofit working for healthy coral reefs and clean ocean water, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is extremely proud to host this presentation, as our community works on solutions to reduce pollution to our nearshore waters to help our coral reefs survive,” says Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We are happy to see this innovative science-based pilot project come to Kihei, to use natural materials to better treat wastewater and reduce its pollution impacts on our ocean waters.”
To reserve your spot at this free Zoom webinar, please visit http://bit.ly/KiheiWastewater.
Paul Sturm, Ridge to Reefs’ Executive Director
Green infrastructure water treatment in Guánica, Puerto Rico
About Paul Sturm:
Paul founded Ridge to Reefs (non-profit organization) in 2011 to support local creation and implementation of watershed plans primarily in the Chesapeake Bay and in coral reef watersheds – with the goal to achieve tangible environmental outcomes.
Paul and his team are currently testing a low cost, low energy, nature-based alternative septic system with University of Hawaii and have constructed similar systems in Puerto Rico and American Samoa. He has worked on innovative methods to control sediment transport using vegetation and stormwater using plants and biochar amendments. Recent efforts have also focused on improving food security, soil health and agricultural resilience in the face of climate change.
Paul is a former Center for Watershed Protection Director/Biologist and spent 11 years working on watershed plans, implementation projects and code changes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and around the country. Prior to that, he spent 6 years researching the effectiveness of implementation of agricultural and urban BMPs and developed methods to track and target pollution source areas in agricultural watersheds.
Paul participated in the development of the EPA Sponsored Illicit discharge detection manual. He directly assisted the development of field assessment protocols for the Outfall Reconnaissance Inventory (ORI) and the development of the field form as well as the water chemistry testing protocol that was developed for the manual. The manual was produced for EPA and distributed to officials in all 50 states to help guide NPDES compliance methods for Phase I and Phase II communities. Paul also helped conduct a webcast for EPA that included over 1000 attendees. Paul conducted the field portion of the training where videos of the outfall reconnaissance inventory methods were presented for several outfalls. Paul also answered technical questions from participants in the webcast.
Paul has contributed to more than 20 publications and has presented more than 60 lectures around the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. These include participation as a trainer at four National Watershed Institutes, invited speaker at four US Coral Reef Task Meetings in Washington, D.C. and San Juan, Puerto Rico, three National River Rallies, three Army Corp of Engineers Water in the Watersheds Courses in Davis, CA and a Coastal Zone Management Course for the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago. Paul has led trainings in stream assessment, stormwater retrofitting, erosion, code change, illicit discharge detection and elimination, and sediment and erosion control.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. We rely upon your support to protect coral reefs, promote clean ocean water and restore native fish.
Reef Resilience Case Study& Wastewater Pollution Toolkit
CASE STUDY FEATURE - Guánica Bay
Ridge to Reefs work developing nature based solutions to wastewater in Guánica Bay, Puerto Rico was featured in a Reef Resilience Network case study. Read the case study to learn about nature based solutions to ocean sewage pollution challenges.
https://reefresilience.org/case-studies/puerto-rico-wastewater-pollution/
Around the world, wastewater pollution is caused by a lack of sanitation and poor management of wastewater. 80% of global wastewater–which includes human sewage–is discharged into the environment without treatment, releasing an array of harmful contaminants into the ocean and causing direct harm to people and coral reefs. Historically the public health, utilities, and planning sectors have been tasked with managing wastewater discharge. But with the growing impacts of wastewater pollution in the ocean, the perspective, expertise, and actions of natural resource managers and practitioners are
critical to reducing this threat.
The new Wastewater Pollution Toolkit provides the latest science and strategies to help marine managers address wastewater threats wherever they work. The series of webpages summarizes the impacts of wastewater pollution to human and marine health; current management strategies and innovative solutions; and approaches to mitigate wastewater pollution through monitoring, management, and collaboration. The latest science and examples of monitoring and management strategies are provided through 10 case studies, 29 journal article summaries, and a series of webinars – the Ocean Sewage Pollution Series.
The Wastewater Pollution Toolkit was developed by the Reef Resilience Network and The Nature Conservancy in consultation with expert advisors from across the globe representing the public health, planning, and ocean management sectors.
Explore the Toolkit: https://reefresilience.org/wastewater-pollution/
Conversations on Resilience
Summary
How prepared are you for climate change right now? What does resilience really look like? What next steps can you take to be more resilient? Connect, learn & share your stories with others on this journey.
Learn, Share & Exchange Strategies
Join us for the launch of our series on Conversations on Resilience with people who are already strengthening resilience to climate change for themselves, their families and their communities.
Amanda Stephenson will share how she and her family are engaging their community in Southeast Washington, DC in eating healthier fresh foods, supporting local farmers, increasing their community's ability to adapt to shocks and stressors, and supporting one another in staying healthy and thriving. Find out more about Amanda at The Fresh Food Factory.
Joan and Marc Plisko will share how they grow food, enhance the soil and restore the ecosystem in their garden and yard, support local farmers, ensure that they are prepared for power outages, and engage their community in Baltimore. Find out more about Joan and Marc at Plisko Sustainable Solutions, LLC.
Dorcas Robinson will help us to understand what resilience is, guide us in taking an inventory on how resilient we are now, and identify next steps we can take to become more resilient in our own lives. Find out more about Dorcas at Dunia Moja Consulting.
These conversations are sponsored by DIY Green. We will learn together, share our stories, and connect as a growing community of people taking practical action. Join us as we shape and grow the resilience movement together!
Two ways to Register
Attend for free OR make a donation to support our speakers' projects.
Your donations support these projects:
The Fresh Food Factory is raising money to launch their farm and kitchen restructuring project to expand food equity and engage the community in growing and preparing fresh, healthy foods.
The Baltimore Tree Trust is raising money, in partnership with Plisko Sustainable Solutions, LLC and MedStar Harbor Hospital, to launch an urban forest in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City to increase green space, provide clean air and engage community participation.
We greatly appreciate any support you can offer!
Event Co-Sponsors
Please share this event
For additional information, email climatehealthsolutions@gmail.com or visit us at www.diygreen.org.
We look forward to seeing you on May 25th!
With Marvin Hayes & Baltimore Compost Collective at the Filbert Street Community Garden
We went to the Filbert Street Community Garden with Marvin Hayes, the founder of the Baltimore Compost Collective. We’re working on setting up bokashi composting methods right here in Baltimore City!
Coconut Husks to Clean Water
2020 was a year full of challenges, and 2021 is sure to bring unknown challenges as well… but our response doesn’t have to be more of the same. We can use this time to take stock of our practices, as individuals and a global community, to reassess our direction, and build forward into a future that’s more socially and environmentally sustainable.
Ridge to Reefs is founded on the idea of building practices that are powered by natural processes to answer to environmental problems. But leveraging natural processes is only part of how we think about and build solutions. Where materials are sourced, and who contributes in the implementation of our projects, are crucial considerations to ensure a truly sustainable strategy.
These are ways to triage pressing environmental problems on the spot, developing solutions through local community engagement; using scientific methods to target problems; working with local, sustainably sourced materials to build solutions; and training local partners to maintain the infrastructure of these nature-powered systems. This is how we approach and build every project, and we believe it’s the way forward to a more connected, sustainable world.
One example of this process in action is illustrated by our work in American Samoa.
In American Samoa, many dry litter piggeries put out untreated septic runoff water to the local environment. To work correctly, these systems require woodchips, but the only few woodchippers on the island are either broken or inaccessible to village members. Instead of waiting around for a woodchipper to appear, we experimented with materials that were readily available to build a rain garden system that effectively captures and treats piggery waste. The biofilters were made by layering coconut husks, vetiver grass grown at the local community college, and biochar made with driftwood collected from the ocean and burnt by the village members right next to our project site.
This green infrastructure project, produced with local materials and constructed with the local community, is sustainable for the environment and supports local job creation. This system protects drinking water, community health, and the health of the nearby coral reefs. These reefs provide subsistence fishing, ecotourism, and contribute to the health of the ocean ecosystem.
Building locally sourced green infrastructure creates accessible solutions for the communities who need them most. Targeting these projects to address community priorities and training local partners to maintain them ensures their longevity and ongoing effectiveness.
The threats to clean water, healthy communities, and healthy oceans are many, but they can be mitigated and managed if we work together and work with the solutions nature has provided.
Take a deep, slow breath. Together, using nearby resources and leveraging one another’s strengths, we can progress toward a better world.
