Wastewater Ecology

Buffalo Harbor

Brief

PROPOSED WASTEWATER ECOLOGY ON BUFFALO HARBOR

Render showing proposed Phase 1 development of redirecting Combine Sewer Overflows and improving land and water quality till the year 2025

Buffalo Harbor

1/18

Urban Research

Wastewater Ecology,

Buffalo Harbor

M.Arch

Spring 2020

Surabhi D

Anya B

Meghan E

Until now, industrial, urban, and population growth have created cities where natural processes are replaced by human-made necessary improvements. Pushing nature out of our megacities has led to the crisis and lack of natural elements, air, and water, that are essential for human survival, along with other living species.

Looking at the daily Water Resource Demands, average daily US water consumption is 88 gallons per person. Considering the next 100 million will need 8.8 billion gallons of water per day if current consumption patterns continue. Ground-water the withdrawal rate is in millions of gallons per day. Similar to streams and lakes, wetlands can receive ground-water inflow, recharge groundwater.

This project focuses on water contamination happening around the Buffalo River and Harbor from decades.

Wetlands, once perceived as worthless land, are now recognized as a necessary component of a vital landscape. They are often considered the “kidneys of the landscape” because of their role in mitigating and filtering the effects of human activity on water resources in the watershed. Wetland functions have been shown to include storm and floodwater retention, shoreline protection, water-quality improvement & also provides wildlife habitat.

The extensive water management will be on display for the public to view and interact with in order to bring attention to the infrastructure that is prominent for the function of a society that has been overlooked for much of its time.

Our project aims to decentralize the wastewater treatment infrastructure that currently exists in Buffalo and create a scattered and natural filtration system that will be on display for the public to view and interact with, bringing attention to such a crucial part of the function of society, that is often overlooked. Located on the outer harbor of Buffalo, will be the first phase of tapping and redirecting the existing CSOs. The site is an environmental wasteland, created through its history of industrialization leaving behind abandoned buildings, brownfields, landfills, and inactive hazardous waste. We not only strive to provide filtration across this site and work towards a greener future, and revitalization of habitats, but we also intend to embrace the existing landscape and its history.

WASTEWATER ECOLOGY- DEFINING NEEDS Introduction to research and background facts supporting the necessities of Water Resource management system on larger scale.	HISTORIC TIMELINE OF WASTEWATER IN BUFFALO Buffalo’s wastewater facility was built in a series of phases in order to solve issues regarding the disposal of human waste as per the increasing population.	SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE IN BUFFALO The planning was based on population projections for approximately 15 years but looking at city’s growth The Second phase was constructed in 1972 –extension to existing plant.
BUFFALO SEWER AUTHORITY: WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT The Primary Treatment plant is a mechanical method to remove pollutants from wastewater & the Secondary Treatment plant was constructed with its primary focus on biological processes for purification.	CITY CONTEXT: PROPOSED CITY PLAN & SITE SELECTION In the future we envision that Buffalo’s wastewater will be treated using this decentralized system by incorporating it in different phases. Our proposal tackles phase 1, which is the first test model for this system.	SITE STUDY Study of Landfill, Brownfield, Derbies & Dredge disposal on site affecting historic change in Shoreline.
PROPOSED SITE ZONING & CIRCULATION In order to tackle the parameters, we’ve divided our site into various zones and contamination.	SITE PLAN Integrated site plan of all 4 Zones	ZONE 1 Retrofitting Times beach Nature Preserve- Originally built up as a Confined Disposal Facility is now unique wetland ecosystem, important habitat for the breeding and migration of birds.
ZONE 2: PLAN (WASTEWATER FILTERATION)& 3D VISUALIZATION This zone explores the first integration of our filtration idea by tapping into the existing CSO, exploring bio-gas collectors and proposing wetlands for waste filtration with series of ponds.	ZONE 2: TRANSECTS (WASTEWATER FILTRATION) The original contaminated land was previously capped, so we have activated the area by reusing the excavated material that is used to create the wetlands in order to create mounds that act as windbreaks & buffers.	OTHER ELEMENTS OF PLANNING STRATEGY- BIO-GAS, VISITORS CENTER, ALTERATION TO BREAKWATERS Along with planning of pathways, wetlands and water connections, we proposed a Visitors center. The existing breakwater on site needs repair, we’re proposing a different kind of barrier for the benefit of these aquatic species that is along the harbor.
ZONE 2 (STORM WATER FILTRATION) & RE PURPOSING STRUCTURES In this zone we explored ways in which we can bring public programs into our site as well as continuing the idea of filtration through the integration of wetlands by introducing a series of ponds.	ZONE 3 In this zone, we are exploring the area of TIFFT nature preserve by redirecting the existing overflow of Tifft wetland and proposing a passageway for aquatic animals to connect from Tifft to the existing harbor.	ZONE 4: DREDGE DISPOSAL A series of boardwalks on the currently inaccessible industrial site, allowing the public to observe the dredging process & further contain dredged material in large concrete capsules to allow the upcoming ecosystem to thrive, similarly to that of Times Beach.
ZONE 4: EXISTING VS PROPOSED DREDGING These diagrams look to compare the existing methods of dredging with our proposal, showing how the contaminated sediments are dreaded and then disposed of on this site.	PROPOSED WASTEWATER ECOLOGY ON BUFFALO HARBOR Render showing proposed Phase 1 development of redirecting Combine Sewer Overflows and improving land and water quality till the year 2025

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Surabhi Dhopeshwarkar

SURABHI DHOPESHWARKAR

Urban Research

Wastewater Ecology,

Buffalo Harbor

WASTEWATER ECOLOGY- DEFINING NEEDS

Introduction to research and background facts supporting the necessities of Water Resource management system on larger scale.

HISTORIC TIMELINE OF WASTEWATER IN BUFFALO

Buffalo’s wastewater facility was built in a series of phases in order to solve issues regarding the disposal of human waste as per the increasing population.

SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE IN BUFFALO

The planning was based on population projections for approximately 15 years but looking at city’s growth The Second phase was constructed in 1972 –extension to existing plant.

BUFFALO SEWER AUTHORITY: WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

The Primary Treatment plant is a mechanical method to remove pollutants from wastewater & the Secondary Treatment plant was constructed with its primary focus on biological processes for purification.

CITY CONTEXT: PROPOSED CITY PLAN & SITE SELECTION

In the future we envision that Buffalo’s wastewater will be treated using this decentralized system by incorporating it in different phases. Our proposal tackles phase 1, which is the first test model for this system.

SITE STUDY

Study of Landfill, Brownfield, Derbies & Dredge disposal on site affecting historic change in Shoreline.

PROPOSED SITE ZONING & CIRCULATION

In order to tackle the parameters, we’ve divided our site into various zones and contamination.

SITE PLAN

Integrated site plan of all 4 Zones

ZONE 1

Retrofitting Times beach Nature Preserve- Originally built up as a Confined Disposal Facility is now unique wetland ecosystem, important habitat for the breeding and migration of birds.

ZONE 2: PLAN (WASTEWATER FILTERATION)& 3D VISUALIZATION

This zone explores the first integration of our filtration idea by tapping into the existing CSO, exploring bio-gas collectors and proposing wetlands for waste filtration with series of ponds.

ZONE 2: TRANSECTS (WASTEWATER FILTRATION)

The original contaminated land was previously capped, so we have activated the area by reusing the excavated material that is used to create the wetlands in order to create mounds that act as windbreaks & buffers.

OTHER ELEMENTS OF PLANNING STRATEGY- BIO-GAS, VISITORS CENTER, ALTERATION TO BREAKWATERS

Along with planning of pathways, wetlands and water connections, we proposed a Visitors center. The existing breakwater on site needs repair, we’re proposing a different kind of barrier for the benefit of these aquatic species that is along the harbor.

ZONE 2 (STORM WATER FILTRATION) & RE PURPOSING STRUCTURES

In this zone we explored ways in which we can bring public programs into our site as well as continuing the idea of filtration through the integration of wetlands by introducing a series of ponds.

ZONE 3

In this zone, we are exploring the area of TIFFT nature preserve by redirecting the existing overflow of Tifft wetland and proposing a passageway for aquatic animals to connect from Tifft to the existing harbor.

ZONE 4: DREDGE DISPOSAL

A series of boardwalks on the currently inaccessible industrial site, allowing the public to observe the dredging process & further contain dredged material in large concrete capsules to allow the upcoming ecosystem to thrive, similarly to that of Times Beach.

ZONE 4: EXISTING VS PROPOSED DREDGING

These diagrams look to compare the existing methods of dredging with our proposal, showing how the contaminated sediments are dreaded and then disposed of on this site.

PROPOSED WASTEWATER ECOLOGY ON BUFFALO HARBOR

Render showing proposed Phase 1 development of redirecting Combine Sewer Overflows and improving land and water quality till the year 2025