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The same technology used to filter fish tanks could clean harmful nutrients
from the
By now, most
But a filter, called an Algal Turf Scrubber, uses algae’s voracious appetite to solve the problem rather than compound it.
“This is a very simple process based on nature,” said Margaret Palmer,
president of HydroMentia Inc., which develops and
sells the Algal Turf Scrubber. The Turf Scrubber works by sending thin sheets
of water over a sloped surface covered in algae. The algae
eats the nutrients in the water and grows. The machine automatically
harvests the algae, which can be used as fertilizer.
On a large scale, with several acres of surface area, the filters are much
more effective than traditional filter marshes, said Margaret Palmer, president
of HydroMentia, Inc. Compared to a stormwater treatment wetland, which takes between 10 and 40
pounds of phosphorus per acre from water every year, the Turf Scrubber will
take about 800 pounds per acre every year, Palmer said. “We can accomplish a
much larger amount of nutrient removal on a much smaller piece of property,”
she said.
HydroMentia has one Algal Turf Scrubber in
operation on
For now, county officials aren’t thinking that big.
The county has been looking at building scrubbers instead of digging marsh
systems, said Kurt Harclerode, operations manager for
Lee Natural Resources.
“We’re looking very closely at doing some more cutting-edge technical work,”
Harclerode said.
The water management district recently made another $3.4 million available
for water-quality improvements to the
Flood has been talking with Lee about placing a Turf Scrubber on a tributary
to the
If it works on a larger scale, it may be worth considering on the C-43
Reservoir, which is being built in
The additional funding is part of a commitment the district made months ago
to provide more resources to the region, Harclerode
said.
So far, Sanibel has sent in four applications for funding. “We look forward
to working with them on these proposals,” Harclerode
said. “It’s an exciting time when a lot more resources are coming to this
region.”