Stella Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Yesterday I went of a field trip with one of Mike Joy's Massey environmental studies classes. One of the stops was the Fielding Sewage Treatment Plant.... It was quite an amazing place, and not as smelly as I expected... Though disturbing they they still really can't treat stuff properly and still don't have any environmentally sound thing to do with the solid matter. (we have been sh**ing for how long and there is still no solution?!) Anyway, at the end of the tour we came around a corner and there was a huge aviary! Rather incongruous. Then right next to it was a small plastic goldfish pond. Some of the girls were talking to a guy who worked there and found out the story behind this. There is this machine right at the start of the plant that filters out all the solids (undisolved toilet paper, poos, misc, quite disturbing to watch). This is a slow machine, a little like a waterwheel with strainers instead of buckets. Apparently one day someone saw a barely alive goldfish being strained out! (This was a seriously right-place-right-time moment. It was picked out and nursed back to health! This was three years ago. The fish is now huge and healthy. I am guessing 10-12cm long, good body shape, glorious fins and bright orange. I don't know the type but it is a fancy one - really good head-growth, flowing fins, dorsal fin. They bought it a couple of standard double-tailed goldfish for friends. Even so, don't flush your pets, kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Whats the story with the aviary??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 good point I don't know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Flying fish perhaps? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Maybe someone flushed a Budgie? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumzy50 Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 That fish was lucky.It was nice some body cared enough to rescue it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoshark Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 The solid waste is used on farms apparently. And you thought beef was tasty.. heh. Howabout now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 The solid waste is used on farms apparently. And you thought beef was tasty.. heh. Howabout now? Human waste on farms!? Are you sure about that? I know effluent is spread on dairy farms, that being the waste from cows.. but human? Awww.. I just ate some beef.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 No, not human waste on farms. People DO use it on their vegie gardens (post treatment plant) with roaring success, but you are not allowed to use it on farms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoshark Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 hmm... No, your right, not human waste on farms.. Grandfather is a member of Project Care up in Auckland, and I've been to the treatment plant on the North Shore, and i'm sure that the solids were being used for something.... just not sure what it was ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES The upgrade programme has not been without its challenges. Since changing to the MLE process, the lakes have no longer been used as traditional oxygenation ponds, but rather as polishing waters. With the load on the ponds dramatically reduced, algae blooms have largely ceased and relatively high dissolved oxygen levels have been established. However, the cleaner water has led to the appearance of midge larvae. These are being monitored very closely to ensure that numbers do not reach levels which may pose a potential nuisance to nearby residents. Improved efficiency also brought a second problem. Modern treatment processes remove more biosolids - and thus produce more sludge - than older plants, placing additional burdens on disposal arrangements, which have historically centred on landfill, currently the cheapest option available. Recognising that this is not sustainable in the long-term, the council are exploring alternatives, including composting, beneficial reuse as a soil conditioner or applications in forestry. To comply with the Governmental Waste Minimisation Strategy, 95% of biosolids should be reused or composted ahead of a 2007 deadline. http://www.water-technology.net/projects/rosedale/ Option 2: Or i'm completely wrong and still being used for landfill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 I thought the northshore poo works were going to spread the sludge in forests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Almost unbelievable. but nice to hear of the outcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesejawa Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Wow what an amazing goldfish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I don't know about Aucklanders but down here ours does't stink so we spread it around the radiata forests and it helps grow pretreated pinus radiata. There has been a lot of research done on this and the limiting factor is the application of nitrate (and that takes care of everything else) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplecatfish Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 The Mangere Treatment Plant used to make their biosolids available for gardeners but then the Greenies complained, (something to do with heavy metal concentrations), so now they're looking at using it to recreate the volcanic mountain of Puketutu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 I have read all the scientific papers that were presented with the application to apply the solids to the forests and the Regional councils main concerns were the leaching of nirates into the groundwater. The heavy metals are generally tied up in the soil and so do not pose much risk to the groundwater. They will eventually build up in the soil or your cabbages of course. My main concern was the possible spread of diseases and that problem was addressed by keeping people out of the area. I wouldn't want it on my garden even though I do recall helping my father dig it out and put it on the garden when I was a kid at Roxborough Hydro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 pathogen contamination of groundwater would also be a concern as well as the nitrates depending on the depth to groundwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 Flood irrigation of effluent is pretty common in that location. The bugs are generally tied up in the soil with surface spread. All the old septic tanks in that area discharge via soakholes to about 6m depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 very true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 so now they're looking at using it to recreate the volcanic mountain of Puketutu. Wouldn't that make it the volcanic mountain of pukepupu? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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