Can a pile of tree bark in a giant holding tank be the answer to treating waste at a busy highway rest area? Department of Transportation officials in Colorado think so, where an innovative treatment system is replacing a septic system that failed due to heavy usage and poor soils.

According to a report at the koaa.com website, a new system relying on Ponderosa pine bark to break down waste is now in place at the Pinon Rest Area along Interstate 25 near Pueblo. Check out a video explaining the treatment process here:

http://www.koaa.com/videos/pinon-rest-area-improvements-6-00p-m-/

According to reports, up to 10,000 people per day were using the rest area bathrooms when the prior system failed and the site was closed by CDOT. The new system includes a basement placed under the bathrooms containing 18 inches of pine bark, expected to help break down the waste with the help of a sprinkler system. The effluent will evaporate and the waste will become fertilizer, officials said. They hope the system works for 200 years and becomes a model for busy rest areas.

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