Officials in Brighton, England, set up a nature reserve to filter road runoff and protect the area's drinking water supply.
According to The Guardian, the Aquifer Project in the Wild Park nature reserve will filter water from the A27 highway in the Moulsecoomb area. The aquifer uses vortex separators to filter out larger solids and bays of reeds and plants to remove finer particles and contaminants.
Nick Bean, an engineer for the local council, explained, "The designer claims that you could drink the water from there."
The Aquifer Project is helping keep the area's chalk aquifer cleaner. The entire city draws its drinking water from this underground aquifer. Runoff contaminates the aquifer with microplastics from car tires and other sources, as well as a wide range of chemicals, creating unsafe drinking water that requires chemical treatment.
Martin Smith, a professor of geochemistry at the University of Brighton, found many contaminants in the A27 runoff.
He explained, "Lead is still there — a legacy from when lead used to be in fuel. There's chromium from the road paints. We also looked at polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which come out of the bitumen and from the rubber in the tires."
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Many of these contaminants are carcinogens, posing a significant threat to public health. But chemical treatments, while generally safe, are often overused and can have potential impacts on people's health.
Using these natural systems to filter water is safer, healthier, and better for the community and the environment.
Rain gardens, permeable pavement, and other natural ways of managing runoff can be set up small scale, too. If you're worried about flooding or toxic runoff near your home, consider creating a rain garden. Natural spaces like rain gardens also create habitats for local wildlife, fostering a healthy and buzzing ecosystem.
Katie Eberstein, Brighton and Hove City Council's environmental education program manager, told The Guardian, "It's an important place to engage young people so that they understand how water can get polluted, how flooding causes problems, and how we can use nature to keep our water clean."
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How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Never 👎 Mélanie David-Durand, former biosphere program manager, said, "It's not just managing the water, it's really about people."
She went on to say, "We're really hoping that the ponds and the water will help people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy nature, feel good, and enjoy their lives."
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