• Wastewater including sewage can be treated in an integrated manner. by u1ilising a mix of artificial and natural processes. An example of such an initiative is the town of Arcata situated along the northern coast of California. Collaborating with biologists from the Humboldt State University, the townspeople created an integrated waste water treatment process within a natural system.

The cleaning occurs in two stages -
(a) The conventional sedimentation, filtering and chlorine treatments are given. After this stage lots of dangerous pollutants like dissolved heavy metals still remain. To combat this, an innovative approach was taken and the

(b) Biologists developed a series of six connected marshes ver 60 hectares of marshland. Appropriate plants, algae, fungi and bacteria were seeded into this area, which neutralise, absorb and assimilate the pollutants. Hence as the water flows through the marshes, it gets purified naturally.

• The marshes also constitute a sanctuary, with a high level of biodiversity in the form of fishes, animals and birds that now reside there. A citizens group called friends of the Arcata Marshes (FOAM) are responsible for the upkeep and safeguarding of this wonderful project.