UPDATED (3-16/1:30 p.m.) Discovery Bay’s groundbreaking, eco-friendly wetlands will be blooming for at least another two years.

The CSD approved the extension of the Wetlands Trial Project at the Feb. 17 regular town meeting, giving the green light to continue using the wetlands as a natural way to remove containments and pollutants from the town’s wastewater. The motion passed three to two; Vice President Mark Simon and Director Ray Tetreault voted against the project. Both Simon and Tetreault indicated concerns over the cost of the program and suggested waiting until a more complete cost-analysis could be conducted before moving ahead with the project.

“I am thrilled that the board supported this project, because in my eyes it is taking a step forward at looking for ways for us to reduce our plant expansion costs in the future,” said Discovery Bay General Manager Virgil Koehne. “The levels that are allowed (by the state) to discharge are becoming less and less, and as they get tighter we have to find ways to accommodate that, and often this is to expand the wastewater plants.”

For the past two years, Koehne has been working on the wetlands project with UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus Alex Horne and his graduate students. At the time of the initiation of the wetlands, the community was facing up to $300,000 in fines (the majority for copper contaminants) from the California Regional Quality Control Board (CRQCB).

Today, substantial amounts of copper and nitrates have been removed from the town’s wastewater and the state water fines have been significantly reduced. The innovative project has also garnered attention of the water board, which looks favorably on communities that take the green approach to wastewater challenges.

“I’m proud of this project,” said Horne during a presentation to the CSD in December. “It’s not magic; it’s just science, but we are the first ones to have a proper wetlands – the only ones in the world, and it looks like we’ve been successful.”

The focus this time around, according to Koehne, will be on salinity. “The Water Board has put some numbers on us regarding the salt levels, and we are evaluating it,” said Koehne. “I truly believe that if the wetlands can be as effective on salinity as they were on the metals, or can even reduce a partial degree of salinity, it will be worth it.”

The cost of the continuation of the project is expected to be somewhere in the range of $160,000 spread out over two years and will be paid for with dollars already budgeted.

The wetlands lie on a 2-acre parcel located near Sewer Plant No. 1 in the southwest corner of Discovery Bay. If the project continues to be successful, it’s likely the town will eventually expand the project’s area.

Koehne expects to begin working on the next phase of the wetlands some time this spring and is looking forward seeing some success. “Spring is the growing season, so we will begin getting together (with UC Berkeley) to plan our strategy and see what we will try,” said Koehne. “I’m pleased about the project; it has us looking green and we are reducing contaminants and diluting pollutants. We’re ready to get going.”