Performance modeling of subsurface-flow constructed wetlands systems

A subsurface flow constructed wetlands (CW) system, located at a neighborhood consisting of a small housing development and golf courses outside of Lincoln, NE, was studied for its effectiveness as a small community wastewater system. Extensive monitoring was conducted biweekly between June 1996 and December 2000. Prediction models for soluble CBOD5 NH3-N, and TP removal in CW were employed for comparison with the field data. It was found that the disappearance of BOD5 and NH3-N could be approximated using first-order kinetics, but the kinetics of TP removal were unclear. The reduction rate constants regressed from the field data were found to be lower than literature reported values.