A Texas water treatment facility is celebrating the eradication of a pesky invasive species that had invaded its systems thanks to a unique and unexpected solution.
According to KXAN, the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District in Georgetown, Texas, reported that its water intake facility at Lake Georgetown is free of zebra mussels for the first time since 2017.
The trick? A copper ion generator that puts just enough copper into the water to render the mussels harmless. The amount of copper in the water is well below the maximum contaminant level set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
As a result of this system, which was installed in 2022, BCMUD is reporting no mussels anywhere in its intake system.
"BCMUD now has two years of data showing that we do not have zebra mussels in our system," BCMUD's facilities manager, Bill Carr, told KXAN. "Before that, when we were implementing the sodium permanganate system, when we'd drain our pond to clean it, it was completely infested with zebra mussels."
"Now, we have none," Carr added.
Zebra mussels are an invasive species native to Eurasia that first arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s, according to the United States Geological Survey. They came aboard Eastern European ships in the Great Lakes that dropped their water ballast in the freshwater lakes and spread across the Midwest and into Southern states such as Texas.
They spread quickly and can build up on any surface left in the water for an extended period through a process known as biofouling, according to the National Park Service. They can grow on docks, on rocks, in soil, and even on the shells of other mussels. The protein strands they use to connect to those surfaces are notoriously difficult to remove, especially if the mussels are still living, and killing them is risky in any water that has other life in it.
If left unchecked, zebra mussels can clog intake pipes, break machinery, and kill other native bivalves in the area. They're highly efficient filter feeders and tend not to leave much for other species in the area.
Removing invasive species on a small or large scale is time-consuming and expensive. Homeowners tackling invasive species can face the same challenges as large companies. Installing a native plant yard is a great way to save money on lawn maintenance and prevent the headache of removing invasive species.
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Absolutely 💯 The new copper system has proven far more effective than previous efforts using sodium permanganate and will save the district money in the long term.
"The first set of copper rods used in the copper ion system lasted us almost 18 months at a cost of about $4,500 a piece," Carr told KXAN. "Previously, we were spending $4,500 every two months on chemicals. In the long term, the cost savings are enormous."
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