With the ever-increasing usage of Watts Bridge,  the time has come to extend the area of vetiver grass in the airfield’s sewerage treatment area. The work is being undertaken by Kevin Werner, with oversight (and assistance) from Peter Freeman and a handful of volunteers.

After both plots are formed with decent bund walls established around them the underground plumbing of the effluent delivery lines need to be put in place. We will be removing 2 groundwater test wells from below the current plots and placing one below and one above the new plots to maintain the groundwater sampling access for the 6 monthly testing requirements.

Approximately 3,400 vetiver plants will need to be made during August and placed in containers with their bases submerged in water so they can establish roots. The volunteer plant out will hopefully be in September. Still pondering whether to do one area in September and the second area in October to make watering the freshly planted vetiver a little bit easier. Will be praying for rain to help establish roots systems of these new plants in conjunction with the effluent release and some hand hosing using the fire tender.

After all the earthworks have settled the concrete ramps will be poured around the effluent discharge points in both plots, a total of 4. Concrete surrounds will also be poured around both the newly established test wells as well as placing a couple of pipe posts around each for protection during mowing and other operations in the said area.

The establishment of these 2 new plots will provide approximately 62% of the bunded vetiver discharge areas. The current effluent discharge is approximately 4,000 litres a day now. The airfield licence allows a total of 12,000 litres of discharge a day so hopefully this project which maximises the allowable possible vetiver plot area within the SS1 paddock will now service the airfield’s sewerage discharge requirement in the years to come and help to some extent when a very wet season happens.