Using A Subsurface Upflow Wetland For Nutrient And Pathogen Removal In An On-Site Sewage Treatment And Disposal System

The conventional decentralized sewage collection, treatment, and disposal systems are no longer able to fully respond to the needs of handling removal of nutrients. Without proper sorption and nitrification/denitrification, a large fraction of nutrient loads such as nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into aquatic system may adversely affect the water quality and public health. Constructed wetland, a cost-effective small-scale wastewater treatment system with low energy and maintenance requirements and operational costs, may well fit the current needs. A subsurface constructed wetland system as designed as a performance-based passive on-site sewage treatment and disposal system (OSTDS) was proved effective after receiving septic wastewater flow. With the aid of a suite of locally adapted and selected plant species, such an OSTDS was configured to handle 189 cubic meters per day (50 GPD) influent using green sorption media at the test center located on the main campus of University of Central Florida (UCF). During the test run, results indicate that wetland 1, which was planted with Canna, achieved the best removal efficiency of 97.1 %, 98.3 %, 99.98 % and near 100.0 % for TN, TP, fecal coli and E.Coli, respectively. © 2010 ASCE