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Framework

Wastewater production in tourism units located in rural areas undergoes through high oscillations in terms of effluent quality and quantity, due to variations in guest occupation along the year, negatively affecting the performance of conventional treatment systems. The costs of implementation and operation of conventional systems for hotels or small communities is prohibitive in many situations, mainly in rural and mountain areas where there are no systems for collecting and processing waste water.

The use of Constructed Wetlands as main functional unit, for example in domestic wastewater treatment, or as a complementary treatment system, enables possibilities for water reuse.

What is a Constructed Wetland?

It is a man-made biological system that intents to mimic the biogeochemical processes that occur in natural wetlands in order to promote water depuration.

Some advantages...

• Landscape integration
• Promotion of local biodiversity
• Efficient water treatment
• Low costs of implementation, operation and maintenance
 

 

How does it work?

The wastewater coming from the primary treatment is forward to the Constructed Wetland and passes through the biological system, with horizontal subsurface flow, promoting its depuration. The main components are the plants, substrate and microorganisms. The substrate is an expanded clay that besides other functions acts as support to different ornamental plant species: Canna flaccida, Canna indica, Zantedeschia aethiopica, Agapanthus africanus and Watsonia borbonica. With the application of the integrated system of the Constructed Wetland followed by a small pond it is possible to reuse the produced wastewater for irrigation.