Project
Chincoteague Refuge Visitor’s Center
Visitor's Centers and Schools
The Chincoteague Refuge Visitor Center, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is located on Chincoteague Island, VA. A very popular tourist site, the US FWS expects approximately 400,000 visitors per year.
Because of the highly sensitive environmental conditions of this barrier island, NSI was required to provide a treatment system that not only met advanced wastewater treatment standards but also fit nicely into the site.
The resulting design incorporated wetlands, a pond, a sand filter (whichlooks like a sand dune), and a water reuse system which feeds into the toilets and fire sprinkler network of the Visitor Center. Surplus water is used to support native vegetation in a small water course.
Native vegetation in the wetlands includes saltmarsh bulrush, sofstem bulrush, broad leaved cattails, saltgrass, yellow iris, saltmarsh mallow, arrow arum, smooth cordgrass, and salt meadow hay.