Constructed wetlands - A new aproach for municipal wastewater treatment in rural area of Serbia

Wastewater is treatable in a number of different types of constructed wetlands. This technology is now entering a phase in its development where it can provide wastewater treatment in a wide range of circumstances. Unfortunately, this popular method still is not applied in our country. The first attempt is just going on in Vojvodina Province. This part of country is with good conditions for municipal wastewater treatment by constructed wetland. There are 85.9 % of communities with number of people between 1000 and 5000. From the other side, there are convenient types of soils around the communities. This paper deals with details of the first constructed wetlands in Glozan. Glozan is a village with 2275 people, and sewage system, without any industry inflow. On the Glozan location a plant has been constructed for sewage treatment of the hybrid type, involving a combination of horizontal, vertical and lateral (vide infra) flow, according to the proposition of Cooper and Clark. The input data needed for dimensioning of the objects making constituent parts of the process of wastewater treatment were adopted on the basis of standard quality and quantities of wastewater of the settlement of rural type, containing no industrial wastewaters. The wetland construction is planned in the Danube inundation plane at the southern side of the settlement. The terrain is swampy and thus suitable for reed growth. Being a depression, it enables gravitational flow of the wastewater to the treatment site. Constructing drainage canals has regulated inundation, so that no special flood protection measures are to be undertaken. To one of these drainage canals are also discharged the water after its treatment. Total area of the wetland system of 8400 m(2) is divided into three ponds of different areas and dedication, connected in series so that water passes by overflowing through all three ponds. The system consists of settling pond, purification pond and the pond improvement of treatment effects.