Artificial Wetlands

Artificial wetlands (AWs), also known as constructed wetlands, is an ecological method for treating waste water (both gray and black) so that it can be returned to the environment. It works on the same principle as a natural wetlands, using gravel and plant roots to filter out particulates, and microorganisms to consume organic material and pathological organisms.



About the only thing an AW needs in addition is a pretreatment tank that clarifies the waste water by separating out scum and sludge.



Though not potable, the treated water can nonetheless be used for irrigation and general washing (though not bathing), and with further treatment can be made drinkable.



Or it can be diverted into a leeching field to reenter the aquifer or discharged into a surface source such as a stream or pond.



AWs also allow the creation or reclamation of habitats that encourage the proliferation of wild species of plants and animals, and they can be used to catch rainwater or handle flooding.

The design of an AW is very flexible; in fact, it is definitely not a "one design fits all" system, and should be tailored for each situation. Even so, most designs can be divided into two basic groups: open water and subsurface flow. Open water is just that, a design that utilizes standing bodies of water such as ponds in the midst of marsh.



Subsurface flow, on the other hand, uses no open water. Instead the plants are anchored in gravel that is saturated with water, and the waste water flows through the gravel. Most designs are subsurface or a combination of the two.



The beauty of an AW is that it can be scaled to fit nearly any treatment demand, from an individual home to a city. All it requires is a change in attitude regarding what constitutes proper use of land, but AWs can also be stocked with agricultural and cash crops to provide a nutritional, material, and financial return.