Abstract
Wetlands can provide some degree of advanced wastewater treatment. This research deals with the ability of a sphagnum peatland to sustain the renovation of secondarily treated wastewater after a moderate period of time. The site was the Kincheloe Air Force Base wetland, located 32 km south of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Chlorine was added to the final effluent before it was gravity-discharged to the adjacent 320 ha wetland. This wetland was a diverse spruce-sedge-leatherleaf peatland, but the wastewater promoted a shift to a nearly pure stand of cattails. Peat near the discharge has largely disappeared, leaving a floating mat of cattails over ooze. Nitrogen removal continues in this wetland, but phosphorus removal is no longer effective. The nitrogen and phosphorus content of the vegetation is elevated, and the biomass is increased in the area of the discharge. Sediments, soils, vegetation, and water are altered compared to the original peatland ecosystem.
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