Wetlands

Creating and restoring healthy wetland habitats

Mohawk's wetlands are a stunning example of how our sustainable manufacturing processes are benefiting the environment. We use treated wastewater effluent as a water source to create and maintain wetland habitats. The environmental benefits can be seen in the plants and wildlife that thrive in our wetlands. For example, our facility in Dublin, Georgia is surrounded on three sides by a vibrant wetland ecosystem. Built in 1965 with the environment in mind, the facility sits on 1300 acres of natural wetlands and provides a healthy habitat for all kinds of plants and wildlife including the federally protected gopher tortoise and the blue indigo snake.

Taking responsibility for our own wastewater

By managing our own wastewater instead of sending it downstream to a conventional treatment facility, we're able to create a beautiful habitat for wildlife and plant life. We make sure our wastewater is far cleaner than the standards set by the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) before it reaches our wetlands. Wastewater conservation and environmental management keep our facilities in harmony with their natural surroundings.

Revolutionary ways to handle wastewater

At our Sugar Valley, Georgia facility, we came up with another innovative way to handle wastewater. The wetlands we created at this plant are actually designed to filter effluent leftover from our manufacturing processes. First, a small aerobic treatment unit uses microbes to break down the waste; then, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients are filtered out as the wastewater flows through two wetland fields. "By the time the water moves through the final polishing field it is pristine," says Denise A. Wood, CHMM, Director of Environmental Compliance for Mohawk Industries. "The wetlands are fertile, growing flowers and attracting birds." After wastewater passes through our wetland systems, it's often cleaner than it would be if treated at a more conventional facility.