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Durham seeks site for algal flowway to reduce nutrient loads under Falls Lake rules
Summary
Public Works presented a contract to locate and evaluate sites for an algal flowway to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus under the Falls Lake rules; the consultant-led site search would cost about $1.2 million if optional tasks are included.
Durham Public Works and staff presented a contract proposal to identify and evaluate sites in Durham County for an algal flowway, an engineered treatment system that uses algae to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water.
John Baker of the Public Works Department said an algal flowway pumps water across a large vegetated pad where algae grow and absorb excess nutrients; the algae are harvested every one to two weeks and can be composted or otherwise disposed of. Baker said the city has studied the technology since 2013, ran a pilot, and concluded a full-scale flowway can be more time- and cost-effective than numerous smaller stormwater control measures (SCMs) for complying with Falls Lake nutrient rules.
The proposed professional services contract would pay a consultant (Gradient) to run a detailed site search within Durham County inside the Falls Lake watershed, conduct field assessments, analyze engineering and permitting constraints, estimate construction costs…
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