FH WETLAND SYSTEMS Ltd.

About FH Wetland Systems Ltd.

Féidhlim Harty Wetland Systems (FHWS) was established in 1996 to provide a design, consultancy and planting service for constructed wetlands and to increase public awareness of constructed wetlands, wetland habitats and water quality. Since then, FHWS has expanded a bit to include other services to meet the growing awareness about environmental sustainability. Now nearly fifteen years in business, FHWS continues to offer a professional yet personal service to home-owners, developers, industry and councils around the country.

Following are some of the projects that we been involved in over the years:

• Recently FHWS have been involved in the design and implementation of the new Baggott Estate Wetland in Limerick City. This is a two acre wetland designed for enhancing the wildlife value of this area adjacent to the Ballinacurra Creek, as well as providing amenity value for the city.
  
  
• Zero discharge willow facilities are relatively new in Ireland, and the first study is currently underway in Co. Wexford. This study, by the Engineering Department in TCD includes two FHWS Willow Facilities. Our partnership with the Danish company The Centre for Recycling, has led to many exciting new projects around the country.
  
  
• Many County Councils have used constructed wetlands and reed beds for cost effective, robust and reliable sewage treatment and effluent polishing. The recent Mayo County Council system in Kiltimagh was planted by FHWS to provide effluent polishing and treatment of both stormwater and storm sewer overflow to provide a high quality buffer for the receiving river.
  
  
• Edible landscaping projects in Counties Limerick and Cork over the past number of years have paved the way for residents in social housing projects, apartments and housing estates to get directly involved in their new communities. In the Clúid Housing Project at Mill Place in Bandon, the new Edible Landscape, designed and planted by FHWS, provides fruits and nuts in season and has been embraced by residents who are converting more grassed areas into raised beds for community vegetable plots.
  
  
• Even before FHWS was established, Féidhlim Harty was involved in the construction and planting of the treatment wetland at Ballymaloe House, Co. Cork. This wetland was designed by Ciaran Costello shortly after the first Irish International Conference on Constructed Wetland Systems was held in Midleton in 1993. Also at the Ballymaloe constructed wetland FHWS carried out a twelve month monitoring programme in conjunction with the EPA Cleaner Production Pilot Demonstration Programme to assess the efficiency of the wetland at treating the wastewater, and to check the health of the Rooska stream, the receiving water body. Biological monitoring of the stream showed an improvement in the quality status in the downstream water versus the water entering Ballymaloe land.
  
  
• FHWS featured on television with the design and planting of the domestic scale wastewater treatment wetland for an eco-house in Oranmore, Co. Galway, shown on the Our House television series with Duncan Stewart. Also the design, construction and/or planting of other domestic systems around Ireland, north and south, including a system for a house in Innishannon, Co. Cork, featured on RTE’s Ear to the Ground series. The Cork County Council System at Boherbue, planted by FHWS, was featured on RTE’s Nationwide series.
  
  
• Education initiatives have included information leaflets and other publications. "An Introduction to the West Cork Environment", is an information pack designed for school, library and public use for raising awareness and pride in the local environment. This project was commissioned by West Cork Leader Co-op as part of their promotion of the region. Get Rid of Your Bin was published by Mercier Press in 2009 to assist home owners (and anybody in fact) to reduce costs and environmental impact in easy, straightforward ways. It is available to purchase here on-line.
  
  
• A list of FHWS wetlands and other constructed wetlands and reed beds is listed in Harty F and Otte ML (2003) Constructed wetlands for treatment of waste water. In: Otte ML (ed.) Wetlands of Ireland: Distribution, ecology, uses and economic value. UCD Press, Dublin.