Man-made bodies of water that are used as, or jointly with, a contaminant clean-up technique.
The purpose of an Enhancement Marsh is to help water treatment processes, such as Pump and Treat, to make the processes easier. EM also provide extra wildlife habitat, as well as places for human recreation, such as kayaking.
Function[edit | edit source]
An EM is a man-made body of water that is designed to help water treatment. Enhancement marshes are placed between a contaminant source and the outlet of the water source, most of the time, a delta. The extra marsh in between the source and the outlet creates a place where water can be treated before it reaches the ocean (in this case). It also dilutes the contaminant to a certain extent, as well as providing a place for local wildlife to live and for human recreation.
Plants and microbes that live in the EMs will treat some of the contaminants such as heavy metals, nitrogen, and phosphorous. It effectively reduces the number and quantity of machines and personnel required to clean up the same amount of contaminants.
For the machinery that still is necessary, pipes connect the EM to a wastewater treatment facility. When the water is treated, it is pumped back into the EM.
