Biohydrochemical enhancement structure for stream-water treatment

Abstract

Novel streamwater remediation systems and processes are presented. The disclosed systems involve design and placement of geometric volumes of porous media of variable hydraulic conductivity within the streambed to enhance hyporheic exchange (exchange of water from the stream or constructed urban waterway compartment to the porous media, or streambed, compartment). The disclosed systems may help improve water quality in various ways, for example through the removal of contaminants from water as it passes through the streambed. In some embodiments, contaminant removal is achieved by microbes and/or reactive geomedia incorporated into the streambed structures. By pairing hydrologic/flow structures with bacteria or reactive geomedia, diverse contaminants such as metals, nutrients, organics, pathogens, and more can be sorbed, deactivated, assimilated, transformed to harmless chemicals, and otherwise removed from the water. Because the structures are designed to return water to the stream after treatment, the stream water quality is improved by the structures.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.