Many people consider cattails an undesirable weed that needs to be exterminated but the plant is actually a very beneficial one that can clean water naturally just by growing in it. Besides being a beautiful swamp plant the cattail can purify water of toxins. It is used in water treatment plants to treat and purify water naturally without any chemicals or expensive water cleaning systems.
Many communities have started using cattails to clean their waste water naturally. They are purposely planted in areas of water that solid waste has been removed from. After waste is removed the cattail plant detoxifies the remaining toxins like nitrates, mercury, ammonia’s and bad bacteria that is left in the water after it has been filtered.
Carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is absorbed into the cattail and then it is formed into a sugar or starch that can be transformed into a natural element. In the process of cleaning water the underrated cattail produces a biofuel that can be used as ethanol much like corn can be made into ethanol. What a useful underrated plant that can be used to clean wastewater and produce biofuel at the same time.
We can all benefit from a natural alternative to cleaning wastewater. It is exciting to think that more communities may start using cattails to purify wastewater in their communities since it is cheap to use and prolific. So far none of the present communities using cattails to clean their water are using them to make a biofuel.
In some communities the cattail is being planted in the middle of the highway meridians as a means of cleaning up and detoxifying the pollutants that gather along the roads. Hopefully this will catch on and more of communities will be plant them along the roads to clean up harmful chemicals like salts left along our roads.
The cattail plant is a global plant that has been around since the time of the dinosaur so it is good at adjusting to different soils and climates and it has been cleaning the earth for centuries.
We all need to be aware of our need for clean water and of finding alternative methods of cleaning up our waste water. People need to be educated on the importance of natural methods of detoxifying our water. Cattails could be the answer to keeping clean water available for all of us to use now and in the future.
If you are thinking about cleaning up the cattails in and around your property you may want to reconsider. Let the cattails stay and do their job of cleaning the water.
You can read more about cattails and how they can clean water at http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/2009/08/26/from-swamp-to-gas-pump-cattails-take-on-new-role/.
