Waste to Landsape Wellbeing

University of Moratuwa (UoM), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Moratuwa

Project idea

Project Type:
Waste Water Purification Landscape Project
(Ecological)

Site: Kapparathota Ela, Kapparathota, Matara

Project Introduction:
the project is based on waste water and biodiversity.the main objective of the project is to minimize the damage to biodiversity of weligama bay from waste water by using landscape architecture. the project will act as a model landscape project for waste water purification plant in the weligama bay using landscape architectural design solutions to minimize the damage from waste water.

This project will help to the ongoing SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT project in this area to manage the space of THE dumping yard and provide necessary arrangements to minimize the damage to bio-diversity. this project will also address the alternations in the agricultural zones to minimize the impacts of waste / storm / sewer water.

This project will also facilitate the tourists and visitors to get an experience and education by observing the aesthetical and economical benefits from waste water through educational tour.this project act as a bio -treatment plant / water purification project in kapparathota to protect biodiversity in weligama bay and this project introduce as a model landscape project for weligama bay to minimize the damage from waste water.

Project Concept: “DAWN OF ETERNAL SPIRIT”

Project Objectives:

Primary:

01. Minimize the Damage to the Bay Biodiversity by waste.

02. Revitalize and Rehabitalize the kapparathota water stream and surrounding wetland area.
- by controlling the ongoing solid waste managemnet project activities that may cause the destruction and loss of brackish wetland (such as removal of vegetation,land filing, garbage/waste leakage to water)

secondary
01.increase the water quality

02. Raise public awareness
Educate people about aesthetical and economical benefits from waste water through educational tour.
educate people about importance of protecting /restoring wetland for bay biodiversity.

03.Let the landowners of surrounding area know that wetland is recognized as valuable and essential part of the ecosystem.

Kapparathota is one edge of weligama bay which was a fishing village from history. kapparathota consist with coastal belts, ridges, waterstreams surrounding with wetland and erosional land forms with a shallow beach. there is an ecological value and also has aesthetical image in the kapparathota and has very sensitive areas like brackish water wetland and coral reefs located in this area.
at present, kapparathota sets a landscape setting for tourism accommodation. therefore the ecological value and the aesthetical appearance is decreasing due to lack of awareness of values by the users.

selected site area is 22 acres whole area of dumping ground and wetland area .from 2006 June 01 urban council authority proposed a five acre dumping ground for all organic waste from weligama bay context inside of the wetland area there is ongoing project called solid waste management .they convert organic waste into compost and the problem/issue is organic waste which are in dumping site mix with kapparathota water stream .

they mentioned didn't have a dump ground and drainage system for filter the water which are coming from dumping ground

settlements around the water stream direct their sewer / storm water in to the water stream

due to these problems fresh water convert in to black water and lost flora fauna bio - diversity is disappearing.

Context analysis

Weligama is a town of the south coast of Sri Lanka , located in Matara District ,Southern Province Sri Lanka,. The name Weligama, literally means "sandy village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. It is approximately 144 kilometers (89 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 9 meters (30 ft) above the sea level.
Weligama Bay, in the Matara District on the South Coast of Sri Lanka, translates to ‘Sandy Village’ for obvious reasons. Many flock to resorts at the bay for its post-card setting of clear blue waters, soft sands, and palm trees. The bay’s most prominent feature is the minuscule island of Taprobane, just offshore, virtually invisible under a thick covering of luxuriant trees. The prettiest part of the bay is around weligama beach area with the polwathumodara river Estuary, where dozens of colorful outrigger catamarans pull up on the beach between fishing expeditions.

Project description

Project description
Project Type:
Waste Water Purification Landscape Project
(Ecological)

Project Concept: “DAWN OF ETERNAL SPIRIT”
Water pollution at the Kapparathota water stream, due to dump site and the surrounding settlements is the main issue at the site. With this issues wetland ecosystem of the kapparathota ela and surrounds has been degraded. Not only surrounding environment and community , this can affect to the whole weligama bayscape. The sea current direction is from west to east.

With this phenomena, the pollutants can spread all over the bay affecting the whole bay. Majority of the Weligama community make their livelihood on tourism and fisheries. Due to this it is very important to protect bayscape. But at the same time both dump site and settlements have a potential to become a supportive units to enhance the ecosystem by adding new spirit & value to make a rehabitalized, sustainable and user friendly environment. The darker period will end up with the project and the new era will be on and move with long time without dying. It will be the most morning twilight to welcome a new era.
definitely it will be a “Dawn of eternal spirit”

Project Identification:

Weligambay is a comprises with a unique, variety of Eco-systems , habitats and coral reefs. therefore weligama bay is more ecologically valuable than other coastal areas.
there are 3 identified areas which are badly affected to bay biodiversity.from those areas kapparathota is the highest rate of polluted water discharched in to sea. Due to discharge of polluted water decrease water quality, disappearing aquatic and wildlife ecosystems.there is a ongoing project called (SWM) solid waste management project which is collected organic waste from urban cities in matara district and composting in Kapparathota .this project site located middle on the Kapparathota wetland and due to increase of organic waste , it mixed with water streams in wetland and it get worse day by day. there fore failure starts from this waste. in present time wetland is badly affected from organic waste.
Due to this problem, There are coral reefs and endemic sea tureles disappearing from bay. Designing this area as wastewater purification landscape. to revitalize and rehabitalize the wetland and surrounding area to regain wetland ecosystems and restore coral reefs and endangered sea turtles to this bay.

Environmental constraints/issues In the site
1.Brackish wetland transformed to acidic landscape by mixing waste materials to the water stream from agricultural dumping site
-impact on ecology
-impact on surface groundwater
-impact on soil and land use
-impact on culture and social
-impact to the bay biodiversity
-hydro logical setting

2.Weligama Bay is a whole tourism based landscape, in Kapparathota tourism attraction is decreasing.
-impact on social
-there are various Geo/land formations,not to set as strength for the site.

Kapparathota Brackish Wetland

located in kapparathota. In the morning the connection of the water stream and the sea is blocked with sand dune and at the evening it connects to the sea with the high tide. it is very highly sensitive place for birds, reptiles and aquaculture.
But the present time Brackish wetland transformed to acidic landscape by mixing waste materials to the water stream from agricultural dumping site.therefore some fish species disappearing because of acidic water.there fore aquaculture is because of disappearing aquaculture,migratory birds and endemic brackish birds are also disappearing .and some floating plant species and trees, shrubs die according to absorbing lots of heavy metals from water.and because of nitrogen and prosperous algae is increasing in the kapparathota water stream,there fore penetration is low and disturb to the aquaculture by decreasing oxygen level to photosynthesis from aquatic plants.

The current status in kapparathota water stream water quality
Ammonia levels can be critical for survival and growth of fish and this can be happen usually in relation to the direct discharge of an ammonia-bearing waste into waterways. Because of ammonia nitrogen, free ammonia in the water is stemming up problem impose its own level of stress on fish at rather low levels. Fish release reduced ammonia-nitrogen through the gill structures). Kapparathota Ela have total ammonia concentration of 2.24 mg/l and 2.08 mg/l respectively, at pH 7.0, which is extremely high. According to calculations, free ammonia in the above sampling locations was varied from 0.02 mg/l, to 0.03 mg/l and other locations were recorded less than 0.01mg/l. According to concentration gradient external concentration of free ammonia rises, a fish will accordingly have a harder time releasing ammonia rise. In the case of fish, most of them are extremely sensitive to even minute levels of NH 3 contamination. When, the level of free ammonia concentration is less than 0.25mg/l, it does not cause detrimental effects, 0.5 mg/l is a sub lethal level and at a concentration of 1.0 mg/l there can be severe lethal effectively such as mass moralities However, all the sampling locations were within the acceptable limits of free ammonia concentration in water. The ortho-phosphate concentration is higher (1.0 mg/l) In addition, other sampling locations recorded relatively high dissolve ortho- phosphate concentrations.. Nitrates may also impose their own form of toxicity, but they are less dangerous to fish than is free ammonia. Even then, if the levels of nitrates do reach excessively high levels, it can still kill the fish. The results for nitrate and nitrite in the some locations are within the standard level of water quality for preservation of fish and other aquatic life according to portable water quality standards set by the Sri Lanka Standard Institute and draft Central Environmental Authority (CEA) standard (SLSI, 1983). Ammonia nitrogen, ortho-phosphate and nitrate concentrations were higher in Kapparathota stream and stream water drainage channel Due to waste materials and other sources drained in to Kapparathota stream from waste dumping site. nitrogen contamination is higher in Kapprathota Ela due draining of waste materials from to dump site and storm water runoff drain bringing untreated waste water to the Bay. Therefore, high risk is for bathing in Weligama Bay

Technical information

Technical Information
Master Proposal:
Weligambay is a comprises with a unique, variety of Eco-systems , habitats and coral reefs. therefore weligama bay is more ecologically valuable than other coastal areas.
According to weligama bay all settlements are located in the bay surrounds because of their livelihood depends with the bay. increasing urbanization has increased the dumping of wastes ,sewer/storm water to the bay through polwathu modara river, kapparathota water stream and mirrissa canal. therefore these canals, rivers water streams cause to damage the biodiversity of weligama bay.

Using Kapparathota Ela and Surrounding area to initiate this landscape project because,the highest rate of polluted waste water discharge into Weligambay by Kapparathota ela.
This water purification project in kapparathota water stream act as a model landscape.
In future, this model Landscape project can be implemented for other areas which are badly affected and impacts the weligama bay biodiversity.

NATIONAL CONTRIBUTION
Rehabitalize endemic coral reef eco-systems and regenerate the aquatic ecotypes like endemic sea turtles in to bay.

Reclaim the bayscape in weligama bay.

Make the best Eco-tourism landscape destination in Matara district.

Design Brief

Primary outcomes:

waster water purification
Wetland Promenade
Ecological Landscape

Secondary outcomes:

Observatory
Research facilities
Educational Pavilion shed
Aquatic ecosystem ponds
places to gain experience


Ecological functions:

Water purification
3 pond system:Anaerobic and fluctuate ponds are designed for BOD removal, while aerobic ponds are designed for pathogen removal
Natural water cleaners- Biological:plants
Phytoremediation techniques:
Provide Wildlife habitats
Improve water retention

Target Users
Primary: Local & Foreign visitors, researchers are the primary target users of this design

Secondary: Residents of the surrounding neighborhood will have new job opportunities as well as indirect opportunities for an extra income.Guiding, maintenance staff and security are direct job opportunities from this project.


In detail- Design brief

01.AGRO-TERRACE LANDSCAPE

Users provide with the memorial trail with coconut cultivation trail and steel mesh terrace trail to experience the ongoing project ,how it was effected in pasr tothe environment and the present impact of the project on the landscape.

02.active - agro recreational zone

- providing on site food production can experience short term cultivation and active learning zone for user and economical benefits of sewer/storm water.
active agro zone consisting of,
- tomato dome
- onion plantation
- Mushroom galleries

RESEARCH FACILITY ZONE

01.Nursery plant section
- user can experience the economical benefits of compost and mainly, uplift the project capital by exporting plants to middle east countries.

02.Nursery trail
- user can experience the sucession stages and can have awareness of space and importance of compost.

03.The avenue
- user can spend time with high enclosure space to observe the panoramic view of the wetland and research plant section.

FLUCTUATING ZONE

01. seating area
organic shaped seating area with 2 different levels with natural shading

02. hardwood fluctuate zone
space area for fluctuate with hardwood surface

03. vibrating wooden deck
- walk on a deck which experience vibrating withown activities

04. trickling filter ponds
- technical filter for purify the waste water from dump ground.

MULTI FUNCTIONAL SPACE

01. binocular platform
- focus the main spaces in opposite side of the bay.

02. relaxing area
- can experience the beach front activities and pause the monotonous trail.

WILD ZONE

01. observation tower
- user can experience bird watching and behaviors of trees with in 9m height structure

02. educational pavilion shed
- user can observe aquaculture and can gather information about fish species in 3rd pond

03. reflection deck
- main waiting dramatic /romantic space with seating areas blend with the aesthetically designed spaces of the preserved wetland.

softscape concepts:

01.Tree tunnel areas:
-provide shade
-Different tree provide Different senses

02.Pond Edges
-as an ecological boundary

03.Three pond system
-using submerged and emergent plants to reduce water flow and filter the water from waste.

04.Floating Wetland:
-Plants as bio filters
-Plants as bio absorbers

05.Ecological Skin:
-covering hard edges by using soft edges

06.Camflouge:
-covering huge structures with green layer

07.Marshland Areas:
-creating that self -sustainable ecotone

Hardscape concept:

01.Man made Architectural structures:
-covered with an ecological skin

02.Man made structures and other elements:
-oriented and designed to capture the best image of the surrounding.

03. Walkways, Pathways and Elevated Walkway Along the Wetland:
-it is not highlighted, but provide safety and the sense of direction.