DESCRIPTION

The topic for this course module is the application of constructed wetland systems (free water surface and vegetated submerged beds) to solve wastewater treatment problems in the context of decentralized wastewater management.

The primary target audience is upper division (junior and senior) engineering undergraduate students. Graduate students in engineering or environmental science disciplines would also benefit from this material. It is assumed that the students using this material are already grounded in the fundamentals of wastewater treatment.

The goal of this module is to familiarize students with how wetland treatment systems function, and to introduce them to design methods commonly in use today. Because this is an evolving technical discipline, many older design methods are outdated and result in unrealistic treatment expectations. Consequently, designers considering the use of treatment wetlands need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different design methods, and be open to new developments in the field.

Upon completing this module, students will have been introduced to the two main types of constructed wetlands (free water surface and vegetated submerged beds), and will have been exposed to five methods of designing wetlands that are in common use today. Comparing and contrasting these design methods provides important insights into the “degree of certainty” offered by the current level of understanding within the constructed wetland field.

This course module includes text, PowerPoint lecture material, example problems, and a bibliography/reference list for more detailed information.

MATERIALS

A. Instructors Guide

Module Perspective (Adobe Acrobat, 75 Kb) Jan, 2004 Suggested Course Materials (Adobe Acrobat, 560 Kb) Mar, 2005

B. Text

Constructed Wetlands Text (Scott Wallace) (Adobe Acrobat, 2.1 MB) (Mar, 2005)

C. Powerpoint Files

Constructed Wetlands Power Point (Scott Wallace) (Adobe Acrobat, 2.9 MB) (Mar, 2005)

COMMENTS

If you have comments on this activity please send them to Scott Wallace P.E.,North America Wetland Engineering, P.A.

Writing Team:

Review Team:

Scott Wallace

Jim Kreissl