The document discusses alternatives to wastewater management in Boston, focusing on aquatic plants and greywater reuse. It provides background on Boston's history of wastewater management and pollution of Boston Harbor. The author's research has found that aquatic plants can effectively filter pollutants from waterways, as seen in case studies. Greywater reuse also reduces wastewater pollution by reusing water from household sources for irrigation. The author proposes studying these alternatives for Boston Harbor to provide a more sustainable solution compared to the current system.

1. Sustainable Wastewater Management: Aquatic Plants and Greywater Reuse in Boston
Harbor
By: Courtney Holzer
1. Introduction:
I am studying alternatives to wastewater management. More specifically, I want to study
the most efficient types of wastewater management in the city of Boston to keep the rivers clean
and safe. I want to find out which ways fix the problem of toxic waste in waterways, such as
rivers, and what can permanently keep rivers in small cities clean and safe. I will use Boston
Harbor as an example of a waterway that needs to be cleaned. I want to find a few different solu-
tions and how they will work to keep rivers clean in small cities in a sustainable way. I also want
to find solutions that would be aesthetically pleasing, as well as effective. The two alternatives
to wastewater treatment plants that I have researched are the use of aquatic plants in the water-
ways and greywater reuse. These two alternatives are a lot more sustainable and efficient com-
pared to the current treatment plants. Why do we still have waterways that are toxic to drink or
swim in? What types of management can help prevent having toxic waterways? Will these al-
ternative systems help clean waterways more than the current system? Will these systems work
in the long run? Will the public agree on these solutions?
Background:
Boston has been using sewers since before 1700. The city uses the combined system
which performs the function of transporting sanitary flow and the function of storm water runoff.
“All wastewater collected by BWSC facilities are conveyed to the Massachusetts Water Re-
sources Authority's (MWRA) Deer Island treatment plant where, after treatment, it is discharged
9.5 miles out into Massachusetts Bay.” (Sewer History, 2014) Boston Harbor is still being
cleaned up from years of toxins and sewage being dumped into it. There was a construction of a

2. pipe tunnel that will move the sewage from Boston Harbor into Massachusetts Bay where it will
get greater dilution. This is not the greatest solution to the problem, though. There should be the
use of aquatic plants to filter out the water and vegetation. Greywater reuse is also another solu-
tion to reduce wastewater pollution. Boston Harbor has been being cleaned recently from the
Boston Harbor Project (BHP), but it is still polluted and is not completely clean.
Solutions:
The use of aquatic plants will filter out the toxins from the runoff before it enters the wa-
terways. It creates a barrier and these plants can also be used throughout cities so there won’t be
need of a sewer system from runoff from the streets. Greywater reuse filters out wastewater
from washing machines, bathtubs, sinks, and showers and the water from these appliances are
used for certain plants. These alternate systems can help reduce the pollutants and toxins in Bos-
ton Harbor. Aquatic plants can help speed the process of cleaning Boston Harbor in a natural,
sustainable way. Not only would aquatic plants help filter out the pollutants, but they would be
aesthetically pleasing to the eye, as well.
Importance:
In this proposal, it will be understood what can be done to effectively keep their water
sources in their cities sate and clean for them to use. Water is so crucial in this world and is es-
sential in order to survive. If nothing gets done to help keep water sources clean, then many
people and creatures on this earth will die. Not only is it essential to stay alive, but waterways
should be clean for recreation use, as well, especially for children. The public should want more
effective ways to keep waterways clean, in order to make it safe for people to swim in. If water-
ways are toxic, people who accidentally swim in them without knowing it’s not safe, there is a

3. risk that these people can get very sick or die. In some areas of the world, people have no choice
but to clean themselves in these waterways and they can’t get clean if they are toxic. Not only is
it harmful to people, but to sea creatures, as well. Many sea and fresh water creatures are on the
verge of extinction because of the toxins in the water. The toxins get into the fish and the hu-
mans who eat the fish can get very sick. All of this can be prevented if we can keep these wa-
terways clean.
2. Literature Review:
Introduction:
The current system of wastewater treatment plants are not working as well as other possi-
ble systems. There are many flaws to the current system and waterways are still being polluted,
making it unsafe for humans and animals. Two alternative systems are aquatic plants and grey-
water reuse. What are the most efficient types of wastewater management in small cities to keep
the rivers clean and safe? Why do we still have waterways that are toxic to drink or swim in?
What types of management can help prevent having toxic waterways? Which ways fix the prob-
lem of toxic waste in waterways, such as rivers, and what can permanently keep rivers in small
cities clean and safe? Greywater reuse and aquatic plants are two examples of alternative ways
to help keep waterways such as rivers clean.
Current Problem with Pollutants and Water Systems:
Nutrient Pollution
Originally, natural sanitation, or the removal of human waste into bodies of water, was
the only option known. Waste used to be disposed of in the nearest river or lake, but health prob-

4. lems began to arise once cities grew. Treatment for the waterways had to take place, but the cost
increased, which caused problems financially. (Hastie, 1992) A lot of people do not think about
where their sewage actually ends up, like the people in Arcata, California. In 1974, they entered
a “wastewater war” where the community wanted to make the public aware of the problem and
show that they have the control to fix it. Humboldt Bay was very polluted and federal legislation
required the city to improve the water quality. It had not been accessible for many years due to
the landfill and sewage treatment plant. (Suutari, 2006)
Other Pollutants
Another concern is environmental contamination by cadmium ions, which is a type of
metals that can be toxic to humans at high levels. It can cause disease and disorders and can be
compared to mercury or lead. Large bodies of water are polluted with these metals, making it
very unsafe to human beings. The sources of cadmium are from industrial products, such as,
plastics, ink, batteries, tires, paints, and fertilizers. (Finley, 2009) Other issues with polluted wa-
terways are: suspended solids, biodegradable organics, pathogenic bacteria, and nutrients. Sus-
pended solids can clog rivers or channels as they settle. Biodegradable organics are food for mi-
croorganisms and they take all of the oxygen from the biodegradable organics, which the fish
also need, causing a “dead zone”. Pathogenic bacteria affect the drinking water and causes dis-
eases and nutrients lead to high concentrations of unwanted algae. This phenomenon is called
eutrophication. (Finley, 2009)
Problems in Boston Harbor:

5. The workers who worked on the Nut Island sewage treatment plant in Quincy, MA from
the late 60’s until 1997 also worked on trying to protect Boston Harbor from pollution. (Levy,
2001) In 1982, though, they accidentally released 3.7 billion gallons of raw sewage into the har-
bor. “Other routine procedures they per- formed to keep tbe harbor clean, such as dumping mas-
sive amounts of chlorine into otherwise untreated sewage, actually worsened the harbor's already
dreadful water quality.” (Levy, 2001) It has recently been the site of one of the United States’
largest wastewater infrastructure projects called the Boston Harbor Project (BHP). (Taylor, 2010)
The BHP involved five major construction milestones, shown below.
“During the period after the completion of the project, 2% of the effluent discharged from the
bay outfall was assumed to re-enter the harbor.” (Taylor, 2010) From 1997-2007, loadings and
inflows into the harbor were measured by the Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTF’s) were
responsible for the bulk of loadings of eutrophication-related materials. (Taylor, 2010) The total
Source: (Taylor, 2010)

6. suspended solids (TSS), particulate organic carbon (POC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phos-
phorus (TP) were elevated from 1990-1998 and then slowly declined until 2007. The harbor also
experienced a decline in freshwater inflows due to WWTF discharges. (Taylor, 2010) The data in
the course of the BHP are still being interpreted, but it has been seen that dissolved oxygen has
increased, which bodies of water need, and the nitrogen and phosphorous from sediments have
decreased. (Taylor, 2010)
Aquatic Plants:
Aquatic plants used near bodies of water help filtrate pollutants before they enter the wa-
ter. They act as a border to protect waterways from runoff, as well as cleaning out an already
contaminated body of water, like Boston Harbor. There has been a case study done by John Todd,
who worked on the Fisherville Canal in Grafton, Massachusetts. John Todd is a pioneer in the
design and construction of ecological wastewater treatment systems, who designed a company
called, John Todd Ecological Design Inc.. This company goes out and they find “green” solutions
to global wastewater crisis. The Fisherville canal was very contaminated, especially with pe-
troleum, just like Boston Harbor being contaminated. A study was done in 2006 to see if eco-
logical treatment train cells of mycelium would break down petroleum hydro-carbons. Data was
collected after a year and there was a 60-90 percent reduction in petroleum in the canal. Todd
then began a scale design and there were four stages. The first stage was the sediment digesters.
Filters were put under the sediment where the oil is highly concentrated and its biological break-
down begins. Stage two is the myco-reactors, where sediment digested water through mycelium
(type of fungi) and the myco-reactors contain enzymes that help break down the petroleum.

7. Stage three is the aquatic cells where there are six tanks that contain a diversity of algae, bacte-
ria, protozoa, zoo plankton, snails, and fishes and there are shrubs and other plants that float on
top of the tanks. Water is then purified when it comes in contact with these organisms. Stage
four is the floating restorer where the water that was purified in the greenhouse is released
through sprinklers and re-enters the canal. (Todd, 2012) A diagram of the Fisherville Canal
Restorer is shown below:
In the city of Arcata, California, the Humboldt Bay was restored with plants and vegeta-
tion. When the landfill around the bay closed, a dike was built to scoop out the sediment to seal
the landfill. Vegetation was added to about one third of the last marsh to provide denser vegeta-
tion at the end of the system. This will strip out the solids in the marsh. They used native Hard-
stem bulrush to add to the marsh. Sago pondweed seeds were put deep into the marshes, which
the ducks eat and that provide a natural harvest to keep it from taking over. Then plants were
Diagram of flow through the System
Source: (Todd, 2012)

8. trucked in, their tops cut off, but kept a substrate of some of the original soil around the tuber. A
floating plant called Hydrocotyl is harvested and used as a compost. Plants helped the marsh
because it creates shade, which inhibits algae growth, it cools the water, slows down its flow,
blocks UV rays and reduces evaporation which helps oxygenates the water. The floating plants
on the water also reduce evaporation. The soil surface of the wetland also slows down decompo-
sition by bacteria and other organisms. (Suutari, 2006) These two case studies are examples of
what can possibly be done in Boston Harbor to clean out all of the pollutants.
Greywater Reuse:
Greywater (GW) is the wastewater that gets collected separately from the sewage flow or
‘black water’. This includes water from washers, showers, bathtubs, and sinks. This water can
be used for landscaping, plant growth and groundwater recharge. Greywater reuse occurs on a
small scale for on-site treatment of waste, and is reused in a decentralized manner within the
community. The simplest form of greywater reuse is directly introducing fresh generated greywa-
ter into live topsoil. Many technologies have been developed in order to make GW possible for
reuse, so it is not contaminated and harmful. There are simple systems in single households and
there are advanced treatment schemes for large-scale reuse. The generic process requires mini-
mum treatment. It requires a metal strainer and the water is disinfected by chlorine or bromine.
It is then dispensed into slow release blocks. This system saves a good amount of energy. (Al-
Jayyousi, 2003) One of the problems with greywater reuse systems is that they are not economi-
cally feasible for single households. (Zeng, 2013) Therefore, communal greywater systems are
much more economical. Another problem with the system is trying to get public acceptance.

9. (Zeng, 2013) This will also solve some of the problems in Boston Harbor, so the wastewater
from tubs, showers, dishwater, and washers won’t end up into the harbor.
Conclusion:
Many wastewater management systems in the U.S. today are not very sustainable. There
are many waterways that are contaminated and polluted around the country that need to be treat-
ed. There are many sustainable alternatives that have been tested in waterways, such as greywa-
ter reuse and the incorporation of aquatic plants. Greywater reuse is the reuse of water from
household items, such as sinks, showers, bathtubs, and washing machines. The water is used in a
positive way rather than being wasted, such as being used in soils for plants. Aquatic plants are
both aesthetically pleasing and functional in keeping the waterways clean. Some of the plants
eat the bacteria and nutrients in the water and they also help by creating shade. The shade de-
creases evaporation and creates a canopy over the water which helps protect it. These two sys-
tems might be better solutions to cleaning out Boston Harbor completely compared to the current
system of the BHP.
3. Methodology:
In the city of Boston, Massachusetts, there needs to be a new, more sustainable way to
dispose of wastewater. The wastewater is causing bodies of water, such as rivers and canals, to
be toxic. Suspended solids, biodegradable organics and pathogenic bacteria are all toxins that
get released into the bodies of water by stormwater and from wastewater systems. There are dif-
ferent climate and landscape features throughout the country and the wastewater management
should be implemented into specific areas. In these wastewater treatment plants, there are

10. sewage overflow and the stormwater mixes with the sewage, which is then released into the
ocean or river. Boston has been using sewers since before 1700. The city uses the combined
system which performs the function of transporting sanitary flow and the function of storm water
runoff. “All wastewater collected by BWSC facilities are conveyed to the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority's (MWRA) Deer Island treatment plant where, after treatment, it is dis-
charged 9.5 miles out into Massachusetts Bay.” (Sewer History, 2014) Boston Harbor is still be-
ing cleaned up from years of toxins and sewage being dumped into it. There was a construction
of a pipe tunnel that will move the sewage from Boston Harbor into Massachusetts Bay where it
will get greater dilution. This is not the greatest solution to the problem, though. There should
be the use of aquatic plants to filter out the water and vegetation. Greywater reuse is also anoth-
er solution to reduce wastewater pollution.
So far, I have done research on the problems of wastewater management and how stan-
dard treatment plants work. I have looked at a few case studies on cleaning bodies of water that
were polluted and toxic. I then did research on what greywater reuse is and how it will help re-
duce wastewater in bodies of water. I also researched how the use of aquatic plants and vegeta-
tion filter out the pollutants in the water. To narrow down my research, I looked at the city of
Boston, MA and how they manage their wastewater. I looked at the history of Boston Harbor
and the present day clean up and the type of treatment they use in the city. I realized how even
with the new system, it could still be more sustainable and that based on my research of aquatic
plants, I realized that Boston should consider using aquatic plants to filter out the water in Bos-
ton Harbor.
The steps I will take for my research will be to have an interview with Dana Mcdonald
and ask him questions on what type of plants are the best to use to filter out pollutants and what

11. vegetation could be used. I will also search archives on the history of Boston, Massachusetts and
what was done to result in the pollution of Boston Harbor. I also want to study the changes of
Boston Harbor throughout history and compare the difference between the past and present day.
I will focus on both information on the pollution throughout history and the changes in pictures
throughout the past fifty years. I also want to do research on other cities that use aquatic plants
to filter out their major body of water in their city and compare it with Boston Harbor. I want to
see how much of a difference in pollution there is between the different uses of wastewater man-
agement. I will look at statistics and compare the numbers in order to find out if the use of
aquatic plants is a better alternative to the standard wastewater treatment plant. I will also look
at a case study on greywater reuse and see if that is another option to prevent pollution in bodies
of water.
4. Discussion:
The expected findings in this research are that the aquatic plants will successfully absorb
most of the pollutants from Boston Harbor, if the right type of plants are used. The plants can be
organized both functionally and aesthetically for the people in the Boston area and for tourists
who visit the Boston area. There will be a higher success rate of cleaning the harbor compared to
the current system being used. The limitations of the research are that the initial research proba-
bly has to take place in a lab using the water from Boston Harbor, so the findings would be based
off of a smaller scale rather than finding results from the entire Boston Harbor. It will probably
be hard to get people to vote and agree with this idea, since some people might not be educated
enough on this topic of research. A lot of people do not think about where their sewage is going,

12. either, so they do not physically see a problem. I would recommend doing a small scale example
to show people how aquatic plants can do a better job at cleaning the harbor and explain how this
is a cheap and aesthetically pleasing solution. I would take a good sized sample of the Boston
Harbor water and collect data on which plants filter out pollutants the best and see how well
those plants clean the water.
5. Conclusion:
It is evident that the Boston Harbor still is not clean after years of trying to clean it out
and the system being used still brings in pollutants into the harbor. The cleanup has been ex-
tremely pricey, time consuming, and the harbor still is not 100% clean. The system being used is
not very sustainable, either. The use of aquatic plants and greywater reuse are natural, sustain-
able solutions that can better clean up the harbor. These solutions are also very affordable and
efficient. They will last long term, if well maintained, but there will not be much maintenance
needed. Boston Harbor needs to be cleaned out, so it will be safe for both aquatic life and for the
people in the Boston area to use. Wastewater management is not only a problem in Boston Har-
bor, but all around the globe, as well. Once this project is complete, it can be a model for
cleanup to other waterways around the world. Why do we still have waterways that are toxic to
drink or swim in? What types of management can help prevent having toxic waterways? Will
these alternative systems help clean waterways more than the current system? Will these sys-
tems work in the long run? Will the public agree on these solutions?

13. Works Cited:
. (2014). Retrieved September 15, 2014, from World Bank Group website:
http://water.worldbank.org/shw-resource-guide/infrastructure/
menu-technical-options/wastewater-treatment
Al-Jayyousi, O. R.,. (2003). Greywater reuse: Towards sustainable water management. Desalination,
156(1-3), 1-3.
Finley, S., Barrington, S., & Lyew, D. (2009). Reuse of domestic greywater for the irrigation of food
crops. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 199(1-4), 235-245.
Hastie, B. (1992). The use of aquatic plants in wastewater treatnent: A
literature review. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/
a263331.pdf
Levy, P. F.,. (2001). HBR AT LARGE: The nut island effect: When good teams go wrong - the team that
operated the nut island sewage treatment plant in quincy, massachusetts was hardworking, uncom-
plaining, and committed to protecting boston harbor from pollution. yet their heroic efforts actually
worsened the harbor's already dreadful water quality. why? they fell prey to a common yet insidi-
ously destructive organizational dynamic. Harvard Business Review., 79(3), 51.
Sewer History. (2014). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from Boston Water and Sewer
Collection website: http://www.bwsc.org/ABOUT_BWSC/systems/sewer/
Sewer_history.asp
Suutari, A. (2006). Constructed wetland: A cost-effective alternative for
wastewater treatment. Retrieved September 15, 2014, from The EcoTipping
Points Project website: http://www.ecotippingpoints.org/our-stories/indepth/
usa-california-arcata-constructed-wetland-wastewater.html
Taylor, D. I.,. (2010). The boston harbor project, and large decreases in loadings of eutrophication-related
materials to boston harbor. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60(4), 609-619.
Todd, J. (2012). Fisherville canal restorer, grafton, mass. Retrieved September
30, 2014, from John Todd Ecological Design website:
http://www.toddecological.com/PDFs/Grafton%20Case%20Study.pdf
Zeng, S., Dong, X., Chen, J., & Li, P. (2013). Planning an urban wastewater system with centralised
greywater reuse: A case in beijing. Civil Engineering & Environmental Systems, 30(1), 40-55.