Constructed wetlands for flood prevention and water reuse.

This paper reviews the contribution that constructed wetlands can make to Integrated Urban Water Management by increasing stormwater storage and infiltration volumes and reducing the volumes of stormwater discharged to the sewer system and to wastewater treatment systems. Examples are given of constructed wetlands as stand-alone systems or as a component of a treatment train of Best Management Practice (BMP) drainage systems in cities in Europe, Australia, Asia and the United States. The criteria for selecting constructed wetlands for retrofitting drainage systems and the influence of the level of maintenance on their whole-life cost are considered. The benefits of the reuse of water stored in wetlands by conserving drinking water quality supplies and this reducing water treatment volumes, costs and energy consunption are discussed. An aquifer storage transfer and recovery (ASTR) programme in Australia which will provide drinking water from urban stormwater is described and examples given of cities developing the resuse of water stored in wetlands for the irrigation of public parks