“Saletti” natural oasis consists of an herbal purification lake covering about 6.000 square meters over a total wetland area of 12.500 square meters. This area, designed by the Town’s Technical Office, was co-financed by Consorzio di Bonifica della Media Pianura Bergamasca consortium and Lombardy Region.
The entire facility represents an outstanding example of eco-technology applied to water purification; in particular, “herbal purification” is a waste removal mode designed for groundwater body producing vegetal biomass.
Water is withdrawn by the Roggia Seriana irrigation ditch by means of a channel and a sluice system, it goes to the reservoir (1.00 to 1.50 meters deep) and is reintroduced into the Roggia Morlana irrigation ditch, purified.
The entire area is extremely significant from a naturalistic point of view, as it is one of the most productive environments where one can find a wide flora and fauna biodiversity, also playing a major role in protecting genetic and ecological diversity (Ramsar Convention).
As far as education is concerned, as the natural site is located inside a highly-manmade and disrupted environment, gives everyone the chance of observing the spontaneous creation of a natural balance among different elements (water, air, soil, biosphere), not to mention the settling of new and interesting biocenosis.
Water purification is carried out by means of chemical-physical processes, such as sedimentation and adsorption. Along with microbiological processes (i.e. denitrification, mineralization and assimilation), they enable to remove sedimenting substances and to dilute any incoming pollutant.