Patent ID: 7276164
Filing Date: 2007-10-02
Classification: C02F,Y02W,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for removing nitrates from an effluent comprising: introducing said effluent into a constructed wetlands system as an influent to permit said influent to flow through said constructed wetlands system wherein said constructed wetlands system comprises vegetation and microbial cells operating to convert said nitrates into nitrogen gas and other byproducts, wherein the constructed wetlands system comprising an influent area, at least one sacrificial plant forebay for initial removal of total suspended solids from said influent, at least one wetland area and at least one berm separating the at least one sacrificial plant forebay from the at least one wetland area and one wetland area from another wetland area, wherein the berm having an impervious section which prevents the flow of influent there through and a pervious section which permits the influent to flow there through; introducing the influent into the influent area; permitting the influent to flow from the influent area into the at least one sacrificial plant forebay over a predetermined area of the at least one sacrificial plant forebay; permitting the influent to flow through the at least one sacrificial plant forebay; permitting the influent to flow through the pervious section of the berm into a predetermined portion of the at least one wetland area; discharging said influent from said constructed wetlands system in a form containing an amount of nitrates which is less than the amount of nitrates in said influent when introduced into said constructed wetlands system; and introducing said discharged influent into a wastewater processing operation.