Monitoring of Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater

Use of constructed wetlands for the disposal and treatment of wastewater is emerging as an alternative to conventional approaches for small communities and industries. Operation and maintenance of any process control system are dependent on a monitoring plan that provides information for judging the attainment of treatment objectives, performance, efficiency and the long-term viability of the system. Basic elements of a monitoring plan include clearly and precisely stated goals of the treatment project and specific objectives of monitoring. This chapter presents monitoring strategies in a hierarchical order according to increasing complexity and implementation effort. Monitoring for compliance with a discharge permit probably represents the minimum sampling requirements and complexity. The exception may rest with a small wetland system that features domestic wastewater treatment with no surface discharge and subsurface flow. To optimize and sustain the long-term treatment capacity of a constructed wetland requires maintenance of a healthy and functional community of aquatic plants and animals.