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Modern Water Resources Engineering pp 643–680Cite as

Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse

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Part of the book series: Handbook of Environmental Engineering ((HEE,volume 15))

Abstract

This chapter discusses the use of natural and constructed wetlands for treatment of wastewaters. Mechanisms of treatment processes for wetlands were described. Function, roles, types, and selection of wetland plants were discussed. The chapter also covers design, monitoring, and maintenance of wetland treatment systems for wastewater. Case studies in the United States, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom were discussed. Pollution control and water reuse for watershed protection and environmental conservation are emphasized.

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Abbreviations

AN:

Ammoniacal nitrogen

A s :

Surface area of wetland (m2)

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand (mg/L)

C:

Carbon

C e :

Effluent pollutant concentration (mg/L)

CH4 :

Methane

C o :

Influent pollutant concentration (mg/L)

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

d m :

Depth of media (m)

d w :

Depth of water from media surface (m)

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

FWS:

Free water surface

HFS:

Horizontal flow system

HLR:

Hydraulic loading rate (m/day)

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

k 20 :

Rate constant at 20 °C (day−1)

k T :

Temperature-dependent first-order reaction rate constant (day−1)

L :

Length of the wetland cell (m)

n :

Porosity or the space available for water to flow through the wetland (decimal)

N:

Nitrogen

N2 :

Nitrogen

N2O:

Nitrous oxide

NH3 :

Free ammonia (mg/L)

NH4 + :

Ammonium ion

NH4eff :

Effluent ammonia (mg/L)

NO2 :

Nitrogen dioxide

NO2 − :

Nitrite

NO3 − :

Nitrate

NO3eff :

Effluent nitrate (mg/L)

NO3inf :

Influent nitrate (mg/L)

O2 :

Oxygen

P:

Phosphorus

Q :

The average flow through the wetland (m3/day)

RRF:

Rock-reed filter

rz:

The percent of wetland bed depth occupied by root zone (decimal)

RZM:

Root-zone method

SF:

Surface flow

spp.:

Species

SS:

Suspended solids (mg/L)

SSe :

Effluent SS (mg/L)

SSF:

Subsurface flow

SSo :

Influent SS (mg/L)

t :

Hydraulic retention time (day)

T :

Temperature

TKN:

Influent Kjeldahl nitrogen (mg/L)

TN:

Total nitrogen

TSS:

Total suspended solids

US:

United States

V :

Volume of water in the system (m3)

VFS:

Vertical flow system

VSB:

Vegetated submerged bed

W :

Width of the wetland cell (m)

°C:

Degree Celsius (centigrade) (°C)

θ :

Temperature coefficient

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

    Azni Idris Ph.D. & Abdul Ghani Liew Abdullah M.Sc.

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Yung-Tse Hung Ph.D., P.E., D.EE, F-ASCE

  3. Lenox Institute of Water Technology, Newtonville, NY, USA

    Lawrence K. Wang Ph.D., P.E., D.EE

  4. Krofta Engineering Corporation, Lenox, MA, USA

    Lawrence K. Wang Ph.D., P.E., D.EE

  5. Zorex Corporation, Newtonville, NY, USA

    Lawrence K. Wang Ph.D., P.E., D.EE

Authors
  1. Azni Idris Ph.D.
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  2. Abdul Ghani Liew Abdullah M.Sc.
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  3. Yung-Tse Hung Ph.D., P.E., D.EE, F-ASCE
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  4. Lawrence K. Wang Ph.D., P.E., D.EE
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zorex Corporation, Newtonville, New York, USA

    Lawrence K. Wang

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    Chih Ted Yang

Glossary of Wetland

Ambient monitoring

Monitoring within natural systems (e.g., lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands) to determine existing conditions.

Constructed wetland or created wetland

A wetland at a site where it did not formerly occur. Constructed/created wetlands are designed to meet a variety of human benefits including, but not limited to, the treatment of water pollution discharges (e.g., municipal wastewater, stormwater) and the mitigation of wetland losses permitted under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

Enhancement

An activity increasing one or more natural or artificial wetland functions. For example, the removal of a point source discharge impacting a wetland.

Functions

The role wetlands serve which are of value to society or the environment.

Habitat

The environment occupied by individuals of a particular species, population, or community.

Hydrology

The science dealing with the properties, distribution, and circulation of water both on the surface and under the earth.

Restoration

An activity returning a wetland from a disturbed or altered condition with lesser acreage or functions to a previous condition with greater wetland acreage or functions. For example, restoration might involve the plugging of a drainage ditch to restore the hydrology to an area that was a wetland before the installation of the drainage ditch.

Riparian

Areas next to or substantially influenced by water. These may include areas adjacent to rivers, lakes, or estuaries. These areas often include wetlands.

Upland

Any area that does not qualify as wetland because the associated hydrological regime is not sufficiently wet to elicit development of vegetation, soils, and/or hydrological characteristics associated with wetlands or is defined as open waters.

Wetlands

Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetland generally includes swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.

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Idris, A., Abdullah, A.G.L., Hung, YT., Wang, L.K. (2014). Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse. In: Wang, L., Yang, C. (eds) Modern Water Resources Engineering. Handbook of Environmental Engineering, vol 15. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-595-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-595-8_13

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-594-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-595-8

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