Latest technology adopted by Fonterra and the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) partnership Living Water, is proving a success in cleaning up water ways.
Developed by Massey University, the floating treatment wetlands consist of native wetland plants, tethered to buoyant mats or ‘rafts’ that sit on the water surface. Capable of removing large amounts of nutrients, the rafts filter water in drains and runoff before it hits our waterways.
Living Water installed a number of the floating wetlands in nutrient enriched drains around Lake Areare to monitor the technology.
DOC Community Ranger Michael Paviour has been leading Living Water’s work in the Waikato and is excited by the early results from the trial.
“The floating treatment wetlands have only been installed for a relatively short time but initial tests and the rapid plant growth indicates that they are doing a good job removing nutrients from the water.”
“The floating wetlands are by no means a silver bullet for solving water quality but when used alongside other activity such as silt traps and riparian planting they are proving to be a practical and effective method for improving water quality.”
Fonterra Living Water Programme Lead Tim Brandenburg explained that the floating wetlands were an innovative new tool for nutrient management and had the potential to be very useful on farms.
“If the positive results from this trial continue, this technology could prove very appealing to our farmers as a simple tool for managing nutrient levels in ponds and drains.”
“The great thing about the floating wetlands is that they don’t just remove nutrients from waterways, they also attract bird and insect life and the grasses have the potential to be harvested as supplement feed for stock.”
Living Water will run the trial until the middle of next year and if the positive result trend continues the floating wetlands could be rolled out in waterways around the country.
Living Water is a 10 year partnership between Fonterra and the Department of Conservation that is focusing on five significant dairying regions with a vision that a sustainable dairy industry is part of healthy, functioning ecosystems that together enrich the lives of all New Zealanders.
Teknolojia ya hivi karibuni iliyopitishwa na Fonterra na ushirikiano wa Idara ya Uhifadhi (DOC) Maji ya Kuishi, inathibitisha mafanikio katika kusafisha njia za maji. Iliyotengenezwa na Chuo Kikuu cha Massey, maeneo ya mvua ya kuteleza ya matibabu yana mimea ya asili ya maeneo ya mvua, iliyounganishwa na mikeka ya kuelea au "matofali" ambayo hukaa juu ya uso wa maji. Kwa kuwa meli hizo zinaweza kuondoa kiasi kikubwa cha virutubisho, zinaficha maji katika mifereji ya maji na maji ya maji ya chini ya ardhi kabla ya kuingia kwenye mifereji yetu ya maji. Maji ya Kuishi yaliweka idadi ya maeneo ya mvua yanayoelea katika mifereji ya maji yenye virutubisho karibu na Ziwa Areare ili kufuatilia teknolojia hiyo. DOC Community Ranger Michael Paviour amekuwa akiongoza kazi ya Living Water huko Waikato na anafurahi na matokeo ya mapema kutoka kwa jaribio hilo. "Mashamba ya kuelea ya matibabu yamewekwa kwa muda mfupi tu, lakini majaribio ya kwanza na ukuaji wa haraka wa mimea yanaonyesha kwamba wanafanya kazi nzuri ya kuondoa virutubisho kutoka kwa maji. ""Mashamba ya kuelea ya kuelea sio risasi ya fedha kwa kutatua ubora wa maji, lakini yanapotumiwa pamoja na shughuli nyingine kama vile mitego ya silt na kupanda kando ya mto, zinaonyesha kuwa njia ya vitendo na ufanisi ya kuboresha ubora wa maji. "" " "Ikiwa matokeo mazuri kutoka kwa jaribio hili yanaendelea, teknolojia hii inaweza kuthibitika kuwa ya kuvutia sana kwa wakulima wetu kama chombo rahisi cha kusimamia viwango vya virutubisho katika vidimbwi na mifereji. ""Jambo kubwa kuhusu maeneo ya mvua ya kuelea ni kwamba hawaondoki tu virutubisho kutoka kwa njia za maji, pia huvutia ndege na wadudu na nyasi zina uwezo wa kuvunwa kama chakula cha ziada kwa mifugo. """ "Mwaka huu, kampuni ya ""Living Water"" imeweka mkataba wa miaka kumi na kampuni ya ""Fonterra"" na idara ya uhifadhi wa mazingira, ambayo inazingatia maeneo matano muhimu ya uzalishaji wa maziwa, na maono ya kwamba sekta endelevu ya maziwa ni sehemu ya mifumo ya ikolojia yenye afya na inayofanya kazi ambayo pamoja huongeza maisha ya watu wote wa New Zealand."