Escherichia coli Removal Efficacy of a Marshland Upwelling System
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 7
Abstract
The Marshland Upwelling System (MUS), a decentralized wastewater treatment strategy for coastal dwellings, was examined to assess its ability to remove Escherichia coli from raw sewage as a step towards total treatment. Wastewater was intermittently injected down a 4.6-m injection well into the surrounding salt marsh at 0.9, 1.9, and 3.8 lpm over the 13-month evaluation period. Optimal E. coli removal and hydraulic performance was achieved at the 1.9-lpm flow rate with influent concentrations of 260,000±370,000 E. coli/100 mL reduced to a mean effluent count of 0.4±10.6 E. coli/100 mL. Escherichia coli concentrations declined exponentially with only 0.9-m travel distance needed to reduce influent concentrations by 1 order of magnitude. Predicted surface concentrations were less than 1 E. coli/100 mL. The probability of effluent counts exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard of 126 E. coli/100 mL for recreational waters was Increasing flows to 3.8 lpm initiated localized hydraulic dysfunction as indicated by elevated injection pressures and transient increases in bacterial counts. Based on these findings, the MUS can provide an effluent of acceptable bacterial quality under specified operating parameters and the site-specific hydrogeological conditions analyzed.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128 • Issue 7 • July 2002
Pages: 643 - 652
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 26, 2001
Accepted: Nov 20, 2001
Published online: Jun 14, 2002
Published in print: Jul 2002
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