Westernport Water has partnered with Clarity Aquatic, Deakin University, CSIRO and Covey Associates to conduct an innovative 2-year trial of the use of constructed floating wetlands (CFWs) to improve the water quality of their Cowes Wastewater Treatment Plant Pond on Phillip Island. The text below from the Westernport Water website provides the project background and the slideshow on the right shows the project installation stages.

Westernport Water is embarking on an innovative two-year study to assess the effectiveness of wetland plants in removing nutrients and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from treated wastewater.

The study is the first of its kind to measure the performance of a floating wetland on both water quality and greenhouse gas emissions and aims to provide evidence to support and encourage more nature-based solutions in the water sector.

A floating wetland system filled with 1,800 native plants has been installed in a wastewater lagoon at Cowes Wastewater Treatment Plant. Together with scientists from Deakin University and CSIRO, Westernport Water will monitor the plants over the next 18-months to determine how effective they are at absorbing nutrients, which is expected to reduce emissions and contaminants from the water.

The researchers’ findings will be shared with the broader water sector and the local community throughout the project, with workshops and a community open day planned.

The Floating Wetland Project is a joint initiative between Westernport Water, Deakin University, Clarity Aquatic, Covey Associates and CSIRO with funding from the Victorian Government, Intelligent Water Networks and Yarra Valley Water.