Wetlands: A Natural Resource

Wetlands have always been a popular space for development and in-fill. Wetlands are defined as a place where water and soil mingle together. This can take the form of everything from the brackish swamps to plains with seasonal flood overflow. In land development, it's not been an uncommon practice to fill in these areas and develop on top of them, mitigating for the water retention issues.

This long standing practice has likely actually cost the United States countless dollars. Not only in the toll of flood damages - as can be seen in recent insurance and federal relief payout as flooding grows more severe but also in environmental services that the land is no longer doing for free.

See, the wetlands serve a key role in the environment and water usage. They work as natural filtration, taking in the contaminated water and returning clean, pure water to the water cycle. They are a natural sanitation unit and, in fact, modern sanitation theory is moving closer and closer to mimicking their natural cycle as it has proven far more efficient than the current energy costly sanitation system most commonly in use.

So, if in your area, they're looking to replace the sanitation system with a constructed wetlands, don't worry! They're not only better for the environment. They're also better for your water and for you.