This step of the project is primarily based on the bacteria found in the marshes. Each marsh has been carefully planned, a balance between open water spaces and dense vegetated areas of the marsh. The ratio between open water to plant-filled areas regulate how much sewage is effectively removed from the water. Gearhart explained that the Arcata marsh is very reliable. It doesn't matter how much or how little influent enters the system, he said, because it is large enough to provide room for spreading all the water out.
Wetlands improve water quality with a mix of physical, chemical and biological processes.
Arcata has found its treatment facility relatively inexpensive to operate the marsh supplements the chemicals that a conventional system requires on a daily basis. What we are experiencing now is a snowball effect. The Federal government now is trying to limit who can do what and how through permits and other legal issues. The technology and study of wetlands is rapidly growing every day, and more and more people are interested in what a marsh can do to enhance a city. Arcata is constantly trying to advance its technology and is now considering using Ultraviolet light as a replacement for chlorine in the purification process.