THE POTENTIAL OF USING CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS TO TREAT ANIMAL WASTE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
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The increase of intensive livestock farming in the Virgin Islands, most recently with the addition of a 400 animal unit dairy on St, Croix, can lead to a subsequent decrease in coastal and ground water quality due to pollution from animal wastes. Confining livestock to smaller areas to improve production efficiency also concentrates animal wastes. Runoff of these wastes to nearby guts or leaching into groundwater aquifers can contaminate waters with bacteria, nutrients, BOD and TSS (total suspended solids). Removal of riparian vegetation (vegetation native to guts and natural drainages) to increase available acreage, vegetation depletion by livestock grazing and loafting activities, and direct access of livestock to streamsidc areas has eliminated the buffer strips that formerly protected from direct pollution. Affordable, effective wastewater used for human consumption. Constructed wetlands are being used increasingly to treat both municipal and agricultural wastewater in the United States with great degrees of success. This innovative wastewater treatment practice has potential for use in the Virgin Islands to inexpensively and effective remove pollutants from wastewater and protect the quality of our waters.