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South Okanagan Photos

OK Falls wetland – a lab for people to study

wetlandA new wetland will be created in Okanagan Falls to help purify effluent from its sewage treatment plant.

The board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen agreed Thursday to pay $195,000 from its capital reserves to buy four hectares of land for the project south of the road next to the plant.

While the treated water is clean enough to be discharged into the Okanagan River, the new wetland will be designed to remove other toxins such as those found in pharmaceuticals that are harmful to wildlife and humans.

The parcel of land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, but the board was told it will not be a problem for its removal.

Area D Director Tom Siddon says the land will be used as a laboratory to see how this type of filtration works and will be studied by a number institutions.