Fleming College

Subwet 2.0 to be used to improve water quality and wastewater treatmentFleming College is this week officially releasing environmental software it developed in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).The Subsurface Wetland Model software – or Subwet 2.0 – has been developed by both UNEP and the college’s Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT) to assist in the design of constructed wetlands to improve water quality and treat domestic wastewater. It can also be used as a tool to improve the efficiency of low or non-performing wetland treatment systems and model different operational scenarios.Subwet 2.0 is an upgrade of original Subwet software. It now allows for applications in cold and warm climates and can simulate the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. The software will be used by water resource managers, engineers, and regulators around the world and in Canada’s far north. “This software will allow engineers and other water resource managers, and those responsible for sanitation to design, manage, and maintain constructed wetlands for the purpose of treating domestic wastewater in almost any climate,” said Dr. Brent Wootton, CAWT Director and Senior Scientist. “The culmination of this software is a significant step forward toward the UN’s Millennium Development Goal target to reduce by half the proportion of the 2.6 billion people that do not have access to basic sanitation by 2015. Fleming College can be proud of its role in producing this tool.”Constructed wetlands or treatment wetlands are phytotechnologies that are designed, built and operated to treat wastewater. Phytotechnology is an environmentally sound technology (EST) – the application of science and engineering to study problems and provide solutions involving plants.ESTs protect the environment, are less polluting and use resources in a sustainable manner, are congenial with their surroundings, create the least amount of disturbance and are socially appropriate to the local community.About the Centre for Alternative Wastewater TreatmentThe Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT) is located at Fleming College’s Frost Campus in Lindsay, ON. It undertakes applied research on innovative wastewater treatment technologies. The CAWT promotes knowledge creation, knowledge and technology transfer, applied learning and training, and community capacity development. Find out more at www.flemingcollege.com/cawtAbout Fleming College Located in Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 90 full-time programs in Business, Computing and Hospitality; Continuing Education and Skilled Trades; Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences; Education, Health and Wellness; Fine Arts; General Arts & Science; and, Law, Justice and Community Services. Fleming College has 5,700 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 54,000 alumni.     – 30 -For more information:     Laura Copeland, Communications Officer, 705-749-5530 x 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.caDrew Van Parys, Director of Marketing, 705-749-5530 x 1696 or dvanpary@flemingc.on.ca