Floating Treatment Wetlands Project

If you’re visiting the RM of Springfield Administrative Office or the playground/splash pad on or after July 4, 2024, you’ll notice some new floating islands in the retention pond.

These are floating treatment wetlands and they’ve been installed in a pilot project with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

The small artificial islands let wetland plants like cattail, sedge and bulrush grow in water that is too deep. While we see plants growing on the surface of the FTW and absorbing contaminants, most of the work happens underwater, where the plant roots and islands are home to a unique biofilm with algae, bacteria, and microbes.

During this project, IISD will collect water samples, monitor water levels and flow, and assess community response.

You can learn more about floating treatment wetlands and this project at the IISD website.