Sistema combinado de humedales de flujo vertical-horizontal para el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas en zonas rurales

The household wastewater treatment in rural area reveals some boundaries, for this reason effluents with various pollutant compounds are released to water bodies or to the environment without an acceptable treatment, it could generate negative conditions to public health and the ecosystem. This study is focused in the design of a combined system of vertical-horizontal flow constructed wetlands by the treatment of wastewater in the community of Churuguzo, parroquia Tarqui, canton Cuenca. For this reason, was necessary acquire bibliographical and technical data from ETAPA and other sources about the main design parameters and operational conditions, so the characteristics of the study area and the main variables that are used in this kind of wastewater treatment systems were determined, having to consider that currently there are two horizontal wetlands working in parallel. The main results indicated that to reach 50 mg/l in the effluent, being it the limit stablished in the Ecuadorian regulations; is necessary to operate with a maximum flow of 1.81 l/s equivalent at an hydraulic loading rate of 0.389 m3 /m2 .d, also was calculated an hydraulic retention time of 0.669 y 0.626 d-1 m3/m2.d and an organic loading rate of 0.096 y 0.056 KgDBO5/m2 .d for HSSFV and HSSFH respectively, in the other hand with the supplies inventory data by the redesign and through an economic analysis was determined that the new system is feasible because an annual saving of $3341.36 with a design period until 2026 can be reached, to finalize blueprints were done which are useful to get a better vision about the proposed new design.