Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Bellaire wetland: Wastewater alteration and recovery

  • Published:
Wetlands Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The village of Bellaire, MI, has discharged wastewater from their stabilization lagoons to a 18 hectare wetland for eleven years at about 30 million gallons per year. For the last eight of those years, studies of hydrology, water quality, vegetation and soils have been conducted. Discharges terminated in 1981, with a resultant recovery of the ecosystem. During irrigation, wastewater parameters were dramatically improved by waste treatment standards, but not by receiving ecosystem standards. Mass balances for water and chloride agreed reasonably well. All surface inflows and outflows and precipitation were measured; and evapotranspiration was calculated from climatic data. With estimated hydrology, mass balances were possible for nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids were retained or removed in large measure. After irrigation, no significant release occurred. Vegetation suffered major damage in the immediate vicinity of the discharge: trees were uprooted and new species invaded. Heavy growths of fungi and bacteria were noted in the immediate area of wastewater application.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • APHA, 1975,Standard Methods, 14th Edition APHA-AWWA-WPCF, Washington, D.C. 1193 pp.

  • Bach, S. P. and J. R. Pilling. 1983. (preparers), ‘The Effects of Wasterwater Treatment Facilities on Wetlands in the Midwest,’ Report to USEPA Region V. EIS Section. 300 pp.

  • Bastian, R. K. and S. C. Reed. 1979. (editors), ‘Aquaculture Systems for Wastewater Treatment,’ USEPA Publication No. MCD-67. 485 pp.

  • Boyd, L. 1976. Village of Bellaire Water Quality Impact Report, Report to Village of Bellaire.

  • Carter, V., M. S. Bedinger, R. P. Novitzki, and W. O. Wilen. 1979. ‘Water Resources and Wetlands,’ IN:Wetland Functions and Values: The State of Our Understanding. American Water Resources Association. 344–376.

  • Good, R. E., D. F. Whigham, and R. L. Simpson. 1978. (editors)Freshwater Wetlands, Academic Press, New York. 378 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, D. E. and R. H. Kadlec. 1983. ‘Design Principles for Wetland Treatment Systems,’ USEPA Publication No. PB3-188722. 243 pp.

  • Kadlec, R. H. and D. L. Tilton. 1977. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 1. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 113 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. and D. L. Tilton. 1978. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 2. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 82 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1979a. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 3. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 73 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1979b. ‘Wetlands for Tertiary Treatment.’ IN:Wetland Functions and Values: The State of our Understanding. American Water Resources Association. 490–504.

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1980. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 4. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1981a. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 5. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 56 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1981b. ‘How Wetlands Treat Wastewater.’ IN: Selected Proceedings of the Midwest Conference on Wetland Values and Management, B. Richardson, Ed., Minnesota Water Planning Board, St. Paul, MN. 241–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1982. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 6. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 54 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1983. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 7. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 57 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. 1984. ‘Monitoring Report on the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment Facility.’ Utilization Report No. 8. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 49 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec, R. H. and D. E. Hammer. 1982. ‘Pollutant Transport in Wetlands.’ Environmental Progress, 1(3): 206–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kappel, W. 1979. The Drummond Project. IN: Abstracts of the Conference on Freshwater Wetlands and Sanitary Wastewater Disposal, Higgins Lake, MI. Wetland Ecosystem Research Group. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenaga, D. and R. Basch. 1981. Bellaire Site Visit Report and Water Quality Data, Internal Report, Michigan Department of National Resources.

  • Kenaga, D. 1982. ‘A Chemical and Physical Survey of Selected Surface Waters in the Vicinity of the Bellaire Wastewater Treatment System,’ Internal Report, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

  • Lacy, L. B. 1976. Response to Notice of Non-compliance and Order to Comply. Letter dated October 20, 1976.

  • Odum, H. T. and K. C. Ewel. 1978. Cypress Wetlands for Water Management. Recycling and Conservation. Fourth Annual Report to NSF, Grant #AENV-7307823-A02 and ENV77-06013, and to the Rockefeller Foundation. Grant #RF-76036, 1978. 945 pp.

  • Tchobanoglous, G. and G. L. Culp. 1980. ‘Wetland Systems for Wastewater Treatment: An Engineering Assessment.’ IN: Aquaculture Systems for Wastewater Treatment: An Engineering Assessment, S. C. Reed and R. K. Bastian, Eds., USEPA MCD-68. 13–42.

  • Thornthwaite, C. W. and J. R. Mather. 1957. Instructions and Tables for Computing Potential Evapotranspiration and the Water Balance. Publications in Climatology, 10(#): 185–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R. T. 1981. Report of Field Trip Visits to the Bellaire Wetland Treatment Project, Report to Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

  • Yonika, D., D. Lowry, G. Hollands, W. Mulica, G. Smith, S. Bigelow, B. Bakis, J. Rohrer and B. Pappas. 1979. Feasibility Study of Wetland Disposal of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent. Final Report to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Water Resources Commission, Division of Water Pollution Control. Research Project #78-04. 134 pp.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Michigan, 48109-2136, Ann Arbor, MI

    Robert H. Kadlec

Authors
  1. Robert H. Kadlec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kadlec, R.H. The Bellaire wetland: Wastewater alteration and recovery. Wetlands 3, 44–63 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160730

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160730

Keywords

Search

Navigation