Help clean the ponds

The Shellfish Department has been proactive in trying to help mitigate the pollution. Besides regularly monitoring the water for a variety of bacteria and nutrients, and trying to cull the Canada goose population, we know that there are issues with fecal coliform.  I have met with Scott Smith, who has innovated a technology, called AquaFlex®.  It is a reusable Open-Cell foam which has proven to be more effective than the single-use plastic polypropylene pads used in oil spills. Not only is the AquaFlex® technology more effective at picking up larger quantities in a shorter time, but it is also efficient at absorbing toxic chemicals, excess nutrients, and cyanobacteria.  I had questioned its effectiveness at removing fecal bacteria, and also wondered if we could use this as something to help filter stormwater, before it hits our waterways. There will be several experiments on the effectiveness at doing so in the wastewater lab.  Additionally, when the AquaFlex® is infused and/or used in conjunction with a non-toxic, chemical-free disinfectant known as Hy-IQ® water  it becomes Hy-IQ BioFoam®.  The efficacy of the Hy-IQ BioFoam® to kill fecal coliform is also going to be evaluated.  We are working with other departments and hoping for good results so we can use this in a variety of applications and test this for our waterways.