Colorado and Coors Build Test Wetland for Wastewater Treatment

The Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Coors Brewing Company have completed construction of a test wetland at the Coors Brewery in the town of Golden.

Constructed wetlands have been praised both for their cleansing abilities and as an energy-efficient method of treating wastewater. The pilot wetland will test the effectiveness of wetlands as tertiary treatment, and offer a wildlife habitat and educational opportunity to the public.

The project was designed and implemented in conjunction with DNR wildlife biologists based on a plan initiated and approved by them.

“More than 90% of Colorado’s native species occupy wetlands for at least a portion of their lives,” said Greg Walcher, executive director of the DNR. “Efforts by Coors to improve wetlands and our basic understanding of these critical habitats will not only benefit wildlife, but also provide another window into what we love most about Colorado for our citizens and for visitors.”

The design incorporates energy savings and efficiency, water treatment test cells, wildlife habitat and a public viewing area. Continuous monitoring of key water quality indicators will evaluate the wetland performance for removal of nutrients, sediment, and other parameters.

“OEMC completed an inventory of all functional constructed treatment wetlands in Colorado. The project team recorded effective practices and features, as well as lessons learned from the first generation of treatment wetlands. From this project, OEMC’s goal was to build a wetland that incorporated the identified best practices,” said Rick Grice, executive director of OEMC.

Construction of the wetland began in June 2003, and was completed in late August. The wetland is open to public viewing from the public bike path. The public viewing area includes informational displays explaining the purpose of wetlands, including benefits to the public, wildlife, and water quality.

Coors will submit a comprehensive technical analysis of the wetland in a report to OEMC and DNR at the conclusion of the study in 2005. The report will include achieved results, successes and lessons learned, as well as a copy of the engineering plans and design, photos, wetland performance and conclusions. The report will be made available to the public by OEMC.