Services

Ecological Restoration

SWE Group has over 25 years of experience in ecological restoration and mitigation banking.  From one of the first private mitigation banks in NC, SWE and project team affiliates have been at the forefront of ecological restoration in North Carolina, providing expertise in ecosystem services design, permitting, planning, installation, management, maintenance, and monitoring.  

Mitigation

SWE Group has experience with over two dozen mitigation projects and banks in North Carolina and along the Atlantic coast, including projects restoring a variety of wetlands, coastal estuaries, water resource buffers, nutrient offset forested buffers, and upland forest habitats.  We are currently focused on credit markets within North Carolina and Virginia.

Wastewater Resources

Forest Systems

SWE Group is a promoter of alternative and innovative wastewater technologies utilizing natural treatment systems.  We have led the way in North Carolina in the development of forest systems for wastewater treatment.  Increased requirements and standards for agricultural, industrial, and municipal operations to clean wastewater prior to discharge into surface waters or lack of a suitable discharge location add substantially to the cost of these operations.  Application of wastewater resources to forest systems offers a viable, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for the renovation and treatment of a variety of agricultural, municipal, and industrial wastes while protecting surface and groundwater quality.  In addition, markets for forest products (i.e. sawtimber and pulp) remain strong throughout the eastern United States.  The demand for high-quality hardwoods is increasing and will continue to do so.  Properly established and maintained tree systems can provide renovation for a variety of wastewater types in addition to the production of valuable forest products.  Forest systems are capable of renovating wastewater through the uptake of nutrients and water by trees and understory vegetation, and additional nutrient removal within the plant/soil system.  

Reclaimed Water

SWE Group has helped develop numerous reclaimed water systems for various municipal applications.  Our staff and affiliates have the expertise to apply this wastewater technology to meet regulatory requirements for nutrient reductions as well as water usage requirements.  Municipalities and industries are adopting innovative methods for utilizing treated wastewater through irrigation and industrial reuse in order to increase economic efficiency and conserve water resources.  Many cities and municipalities are developing reclaimed water systems as an alternative to discharging into nutrient sensitive waters.  Municipalities and privately owned treatment works (POTWs) have NPDES permits to treat and discharge their wastewater according to State water quality standards.  Therefore, the quality of water is very high and there are fewer limitations on end uses of the reuse water.  The concept of conjunctive permitting that allows reuse coupled with permitted discharge is consistent with the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program promoted by federal and state regulatory agencies.  Wastewater, reused or recycled on sites that have the potential for contact with humans, must receive very high levels of treatment.  This treated wastewater is usually of high quality, containing minimal pathogens and nutrients, and of higher quality than storage pond water typically used in irrigation systems for golf courses.  Many County governments, municipalities, and industries are facing similar situations with finding alternatives for wastewater treatment in nutrient sensitive regions.  Reuse is a viable alternative and will provide an excellent source of water for a variety of end uses.

Stormwater

Rain/Nutrient Offset Gardens

SWE Group has helped install a number of rain gardens to treat impervious surface runoff for individual homeowners.  Rain gardens are an excellent way to help solve the growing problem of inadequate stormwater treatment and help protect stream systems in their watershed.  Stormwater treatment systems are often overwhelmed, and streams take on the burden of increased channel stresses and discharge volumes.

Grant Funded/Conservation Work/Land Trusts

SWE Group has a history of working with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (formerly Clean Water Management Trust Fund) and is seeking new strategic partnerships to further advance water quality initiatives in North Carolina.  Through permittee-responsible mitigation (PRM) and close-out of mitigation banks, SWE Group has developed relationships with land trusts and conservation groups, and long-term stewards of perpetual project easements.  These relationships help foster new grant-funded opportunities, partnerships, and potential future conservation work.  SWE Group is currently investigating potential conservation work in eastern North Carolina centered around the expansion of an 800-ac conservation property and associated ecological uplift and emerging credit markets.