This document presents research on using constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. It discusses how constructed wetlands can effectively treat domestic and industrial wastewater through natural biochemical processes. It then describes a pilot study conducted with a laboratory-scale constructed wetland model containing different treatment zones with gravel, sand, plants, and a moving bed bioreactor. Water samples from the inlet and outlet were tested and showed reductions in parameters like BOD, COD, TSS, and nutrients. The results indicate constructed wetlands can successfully treat wastewater and produce output water that can be used for purposes like irrigation.

1. Constructed Wetlands a Novel
initiative for Waste water
treatment to attain Sustainable
Environment
Umang K Shaha, Anant Mitraa, Renuka Dharwarkara, J.S.Sudarsanb*,R.Annaduraib*
aUnder Graduate student, SRM University, kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, India
b*Faculty of Civil Engineering, SRM University, kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, India
Presented by
Umang K Shah, Anant Mitra

2. INTRODUCTION
 The major environmental pollution is caused by improper disposal wastewater, due to the
outflow of effluents from various areas of domestic and industrial sources.
 This pollution also interferes with the growth of organisms living in the water bodies, thus
retarding the natural purification process caused by such organisms.
 Hence treatment of this water becomes very necessary.
 Some of the suitable wastewater treatment processes for domestic wastewater include
biological treatment processes, such as activated sludge, trickling filter, and rotating
biological contractor systems.
 The treated wastewater from these types of wastewater treatment plants might require further
treatment with a tertiary treatment process, such as a constructed wetland (CW), to improve
the treated wastewater quality.

3. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
 Constructed wetlands are man-made wetlands built to remove various types of
pollutants present in wastewater that flows through these systems. They are constructed
to recreate the structure and function of natural wetlands. They possess a rich microbial
community to effect the biochemical transformation of pollutants, they are biologically
productive and most important, and they are self-sustaining.
Lab Based Constructed Wetland Model

4. CWS on a pilot scale
INLET ZONE
 In the 20 litre plastic container was used to provide a continuous flow of wastewater through the
inlet.
WETLAND CELL
 The pilot scale constructed wetland unit was a PVC container of length, width and depth of 70 cm,
40 cm, and 30 cm, respectively. It placed with slope 1% between inlet and outlet zones. The gravel
with the size of 10-30 mm was put into the inlet and outlet zones in each cell in order to produce a
uniform distributed flow. Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR) was placed in the soil for bacterial
growth.
MBBR-FILTER MEDIA

5. FILTER MEDIA
 The filter media consist of a sand bed underlain by a permeable layer. The bed was filled to a
height of 7 cm with sand followed by a 7cm with gravel of diameter 10-30 mm.
VEGETATION
 Common Reed (Phragmites australis) and Common Cattail (Typha latifolia) are local wetland
species, was used in the study.
OUT FLOW
 The outlet zone is filled with coarse gravel placed in the outlet of the constructed wetland to
enhance effluent collection

6. METHOD OF COLLECTION OF SAMPLE
 Domestic sewage water was collected from the sewage treatment plant present in the campus
itself.
 Dairy and leachate water is collected in accordance with APHA (American Public Health
Association) guidelines.

7. GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

9. Overall % of Removal Efficiency

10. RESULTS
 The wastewater samples were analyzed in accordance to APHA 21st edition.
The samples were studied for various parameters and the reduction
percentages were noted down. The variation of the various parameters with
respect to time are plotted in the Graphs. The analysis was carried out for
the three types of wastewater and similar reduction percentages for the
various parameters were observed. The preliminary studies revealed that
water collected from outlet zone can be utilized for various purposes like
irrigating fields, all domestic purposes except for drinking.

11. CONCLUSION
 Constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-
surface flow have successfully been used for
treatment of domestic wastewater. The
concentrations of parameters BOD, COD,
TSS, TDS, TOC, Turbidity, N and PO4 in the
influent of wastewater from sewage
treatment plant in SRM University were
studied with Normal constructed wetland
and integrated constructed wetland setup.
Constructed wetland was prepared on field
scale and successful results were obtained.
Field Scale Constructed Wetland Model
at SRM University.

12. Working field scale model of Constructed Wetland at SRM University

13. REFERENCES
 Atif Mustafa and Miklas Scholz (2010) ‘Nutrient Accumulation in Typha latifolia
L. and Sediment of a Representative Integrated Constructed Wetland’, Water
Air Soil Pollution Vol.219, pp.329–341.
 Bhaskar, G. and Deeptha, V.T. (2009) ‘Treatment of Wastewater from Kitchen
in an Institution Hostel Mess using Constructed Wetland’, International
Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol.1, No.6, pp.54-58.
 Chan, S.Y. and Tsang, Y.F. (2007) ‘Domestic wastewater treatment using
batch-fed constructed wetland and predictive model development for NH3-N
removal’, Process Biochemistry Vol.43, pp.297-305.
 Gauss, Martin, Constructed Wetlands: A Promising Wastewater Treatment
System for Small Localities: Experiences from Latin America (April 1, 2008).
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper Series,

14.  Design Manual Constructed Wetlands and Aquatic Plant Systems for Municipal
Water Treatment, (1998) United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development, EPA/625/1-88/022
 Healy, M.G. and Rodgers, M. (2006) ‘Treatment of dairy wastewater using
constructed wetlands and intermittent sand filters’, Bio resource Technology
Vol.98, pp.2268-2281
 Jan Vymazala, and Lenka Kropfelovaa (2008) ‘Removal of organics in
constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-surface flow: A review of the field
experience’, Science of the Total Environment, Vol.407, pp.3911-3922.

15.  Srinivasan Neralla, and Richard W. Weaver (2000) ‘Improvement of domestic
wastewater quality by subsurface flow constructed wetlands’, Bio resource
Technology Vol.75, pp.19-25.
 Suntud Sirianuntapiboon and Manoch Kongchum (2006) ‘Effects of hydraulic
retention time and media of constructed wetland for treatment of domestic
wastewater’, African Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 1, No.2, pp.27-37.
 Zhang, Letal (2010), effect of limited artificial aeration on constructed
wetland treatment of domestic wastewater, Desalination Vol.250, No.3,
pp.915-920

16. THANK YOU