Constructed wetlands for stormwater management: A review

The use of constructed wetlands represents a relatively new approach for stormwater management, which has been successfully applied in recent years to address water quality problems of urban stormwater runoff. Urban runoff contains heavy metals, nutrients, suspended solids, organic matter and faecal coliform bacteria in levels comparable to secondary wastewater. These pollutants are effectively removed by the constructed wetlands. This review focuses on the pollutant removal efficiencies of few constructed wetlands receiving runoff from highway, airport, golf course etc. The design criteria and various factors that influence and enhance the performance of constructed wetlands, such as presence of pre- and post-treatment components, sizing considerations, substrate, vegetation, climate and maintenance requirements, are discussed.