Ecological Considerations In Wetlands Treatment Of Municipal Wastewaters

This manual discusses the capabilities of constructed wetlands, a functional design approach, and the management requirements to achieve the designed purpose. The manual also attempts to put the proper perspective on the appropriate use, design and performance of constructed wetlands. For some applications, they are an excellent option because they are low in cost and in maintenance requirements, offer good performance, and provide a natural appearance, if not more beneficial ecological benefits. In other applications, such as large urban areas with large wastewater flows, they may not be at all appropriate owing to their land requirements. Constructed wetlands are especially well suited for wastewater treatment in small communities where inexpensive land is available and skilled operators hard to find and keep. Primary customers will be engineers who service small communities, state regulators, and planning professionals. Secondary users will be environmental groups and the academics.

Both practical and theoretical, this book provides the basic principles of soil chemistry, hydrology, wetland ecology, microbiology, vegetation and wildlife as a sound introduction to this innovative technology to treat toxic wastewaters and sludges. The use of wetlands for acid mine drainage, and metals removal in municipal, urban runoff, and industrial systems is discussed. Case histories are also presented, demonstrating specific types of constructed wetlands and applications to municipal wastewater, home sites, coal and non-coal mining, coal-fired electric power plants, chemical and pulp industry, agriculture, landfill leachate, and urban stormwater. Construction and management guidelines are clearly explained, providing information on applicable policies and regulations, siting and construction, and operations and monitoring of constructed wetlands treatment systems. Recent theoretical and empirical results from operating systems and research facilities, including such new applications as nutrient removal from eutrophic lakes and urban stormwater treatment within highway rights-of-way, are included. This book is an ideal resource for wastewater treatment plants, consulting engineers, federal and state regulators, industrial environmental managers, municipalities, environmental health professionals, and ecologists.

Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement is a virtual encyclopedia of state-of-the-art information on the use of constructed wetlands for improving water quality. Well-organized and easy-to-use, this book features contributions from prominent scientists and provides important case studies. It is ideal for anyone involved in the application of constructed wetlands in treating municipal and industrial wastewater, mine drainage, and non-point source pollution. Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement is a "must" for industrial and municipal water treatment professionals, consulting engineers, federal and state regulators, wetland scientists and professionals, ecologists, environmental health professionals, planners, and industrial environmental managers.

Wetlands have been used for uncontrolled wastewater disposal for centuries. However, the change in attitude towards wetlands during the 1950s and 1960s caused the minimization of the use of natural wetlands for wastewater treatment (at least in developed countries). Constructed wetlands have been used for wastewater treatment for about forty years. Constructed wetland treatment systems are engineered systems that have been designed and constructed to utilize the natural processes for removal of pollutants. They are designed to take advantage of many of the same processes that occur in natural wetlands, but do so within a more controlled environment. The aim of this book is to summarize the knowledge on horizontal s- surface flow constructed wetlands (HF CWs) and objectively evaluate their treatment efficiency under various conditions. The information on this type of wastewater treatment technology is scattered in many publications but a comprehensive summary based on world-wide experience has been lacking. The book provides an extensive overview of this treatment technology around the world, including examples from more than 50 countries and examples of various types of wastewater treated in HF CWs.

This outstanding new book examines the planning, design, construction, and operation of wetlands used for water quality treatment. Treatment Wetlands is the first comprehensive book to systematically describe all aspects of this new technology. Topics include all major wetland configurations, wastewater sources, and combinations of climatic conditions. This complete reference contains detailed information on wetland ecology, wetland water quality, selection of appropriate technology, design for consistent performance, construction guidance, and operational control through effective monitoring. Design approaches that can be tailored to specific wetland treatment projects are also included. Rule-of-thumb methods, regression-based empirical design approaches, and rational methods are explained facilitating wetland design based on multi-parameter input conditions.