Use of Water Hyacinths to Upgrade Treatment Plants

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing water hyacinths to upgrade effluents from heavily-loaded municipal wastewater treatment plants located in Southern States such as Alabama. To achieve this objective a pilot scale water hyacinth system was constructed at the Union Springs, Alabama wastewater treatment plant and operated from May, 1986 to October, 1987. Results from the study indicate that the hyacinth system can be a reliable method for upgrading secondary effluents to advanced secondary levels in central Alabama.