New York State/Prospect Park ecoWEIR Pilot Study

The NYC Prospect Park Alliance and Jennifer Cherrier’s research team were awarded a $390,000 grant to tackle the harmful algal bloom problem in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park lakes. The grant funds the installation and monitoring of two 600 square feet ecoWEIR systems installed in Prospect Park in Spring 2019 to remove phosphate from the Park’s waterways.

Harmful algal bloom in the Prospect Park lakes

Harmful algal bloom in the Prospect Park lakes

ecoWEIR installation explained

ecoWEIR installation explained

One of the ecoWEIR systems (the ‘Meadow Site’) is planted with low maintenance native plant species, and the other (the ‘Lawn Site’) is planted with grass. Studies are underway to determine if the type of plant cover will affect the system’s performance for phosphate removal.

ecoWEIR construction of the Meadow site

ecoWEIR construction of the Lawn site

Lawn site post-construction

Lawn site post-construction

ecoWEIR construction of the Meadow site

ecoWEIR construction of the Meadow site

Meadow site post-construction

Meadow site post-construction

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If the study finds that there is no difference in phosphate removal between the two systems, the Park will look to install ecoWEIR systems beneath the Park’s fields.

Agricultural eco-WEIR™ installation in Havana, FL

Agricultural runoff is a major contributor of pollution to our inland and coastal waters (EPA 2007). Container crops are grown mostly on an impervious surface under a high volume of irrigation water, and as a result, the agricultural runoff from these sites can carry a considerable amount of nutrients to ‘downstream’ receiving waters. An eco-WEIR activated agricultural vegetated buffer system was installed at an ornamental container plant nursery in Havana, Florida as part of a pilot study to evaluate its effectiveness for removing nitrate and phosphate from irrigation runoff. During the peak growing season, when N&P fertilizer concentrations are greatest,  average removal efficiencies over the 24-hour retention period for nitrate and phosphate were 56% and 52%, respectively. Additionally, approximately 2/3 of the inflow volume was available for storage and reuse.

Residential eco-WEIR™ installation, St. George, FL

A recent residential installation was performed in the St. George Island Plantation community, in an effort to control stormwater flow that was pooling and damaging the resident’s lawn and the road alongside it. This water is now retained within the garden for 48 hours (time of maximum contaminant removal efficiency) and can then be released as natural flow or pumped out for reuse. Erosion, damage to existing landscaping, and the introduction of contaminants into the groundwater, gulf and bay are now avoided using our active eco-WEIR™ technology.