Wetlands

File:Constructed Wetland.png|thumb|1000px|The following is a labelled schematic of a constructed "Free-water surface flow wetland". These types of wetlands are generally used as a BMP for stormwater treatment and are most similar to stormwater management ponds, both in function and design, the major difference being that they are shallower to allow for wetland species (i.e. macrophytes to effectively grow and biologically treat incoming flows of pollutant and suspended sediments). A note: The following is an "image map", feel free to explore the image with your cursor and click on highlighted labels that appear to take you to corresponding pages on the Wiki.
rect 16 344 196 432 Inlet
rect 170 512 643 585 Inlet
rect 335 194 580 406 Inlet
poly 632 618 657 618 756 1086 727 1086 2532 1090 2704 607 2514 1075 752 1083 727 1097 Impermeable Geotextile Liner
rect 727 297 2583 908 Aquatic Plants
rect 178 691 679 772 Impermeable Geotextile Liner
rect 727 889 2565 940 Sludge Layer
rect 807 1108 2514 1192 Low Permeability Soil
rect 2869 465 3052 556 Berm
poly 2689 593 2616 849 3015 852 2829 603 Berm
rect 2711 263 3206 336 Sludge Layer
rect 1185 15 2195 168 Aquatic Plants
rect 2609 849 3070 977 Outlet Pipe
rect 3078 900 3949 1039 Receiving Waterbody
==Overview==
Free-water surface flow wetlands are most commonly employed for stormwater treatment and are similar to SWM ponds in function and design The most significant difference is the extent to which they are designed to incorporate shallow zones for wetland plants. A facility is normally characterized as a wetland if shallow zones (<0.5 m deep) make up more than 70 % of its volume. 
Sub surface flow systems provide generally lower health and safety risks and are sometimes employed to handle stormwater in combination with another wastewater stream.
==Planning considerations==
 Types of Constructed WetlandGrant, N., M. Moodie, and C. Weedon. 2000. Sewage Treatment Solutions. p. 35–67. In Sewage Solutions: Answering the Call of Nature. Centre for Alternative Technology Publications.United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1995. A HANDBOOK OF CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS: A guide to creating wetlands for agricultural wastewater, domestic wastewater, coal mine drainage and stormwater.Jacques Whitford Consultants, 2008. CONSTRUCTED & ENGINEERED WETLANDS p. 1-21
Free-water surface flow	Horizontal sub-surface flow	Vertical sub-surface flow
 	 	
Pros
*Robust
*Provides excellent water quality treatment
*Resistant to temporary hydraulic overload
*Can be beautiful
*Sludge removal infrequent	Pros
*Well established technology
*May be natural looking, although often rectilinear in plan 
*Need little to no gradient
*Provides buffer to discharge
*Good pathogen removal from die off and predation
*Minimal maintenance
*Wide range of plants suitable
*Robust	Pros
*High levels of treatment possible
*May be run without power if significant gradient is available
*Can be attractively designed to generate interest in the technology, may be any shape. 
*Maintenance is technically simple. Sludge easily removed
*Biologically complex and robust
*Failure tends to be gradual
*Will function prior to establishment of vegetation
Cons
*Requires larger land area
*Sludge removal may be more difficult
*Open water may generate more health and safety concerns.	Cons
*Requires more land
*Multiple substrate layers will promote stratification and channelization	Cons
*Requires fall of at least 1.5 m to provide sufficient treatment
*May be high cost
*Sensitive to hydraulic overloading
==Design==
===Sizing free-water===
Design parameters for free-water surface flow wetlands Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), and CH2M Hill Canada. 2018. Inspection and Maintenance Guide for Stormwater Management Ponds and Constructed Wetlands (T van Seters, L Rocha, and K Delidjakovva, Eds.).
Element 	Design Objective 	Criteria
Drainage Area 	Sustaining vegetation, volumetric turnover 	5 Ha (≥10 Ha preferred)
Treatment Volume 	Provision of appropriate level of protection 	See below
Active Storage 	Detention 	Suspended solids settling 24 hrs (12 hrs if in conflict with min. orifice size)
Forebay 	Pre-treatment 	
*Minimum depth: 1 m;
*Sized to ensure non-erosive velocities leaving forebay; 
*Maximum area: 20 % of total permanent pool
Length-to-Width Ratio 	Maximize flow path and minimize short-circuiting potential	
*Overall: minimum 3:1; 
*Forebay: minimum 2:1
Permanent pool depth 	Vegetation requirements, rapid settling 	The average permanent pool depth should range from 150 mm to 300 mm
Active storage depth 	Storage/flow control, sustaining vegetation 	Maximum 1.0 m for storms < 10 year event
Side slopes (See also berms) 	Safety 	
*5:1 For 3 m above and below permanent pool; 
*Maximum 3:1 elsewhere
Inlet 	Avoid clogging/freezing 	
*Minimum 450 mm; 
*Preferred pipe slope: > 1 %; 
*If submerged, obvert 150 mm below expected maximum ice depth
Outlet (See also flow control)	Avoid clogging/freezing 	
*Minimum: 450 mm outlet pipe; 
*Preferred pipe slope: > 1 %; 
*If orifice control used, 75 mm diameter minimum; 
*Minimum 100 mm orifice preferable
Maintenance access 	Access for backhoes or dredging equipment 	
*Provided to approval of Municipality; 
*Provision of maintenance drawdown pipe preferred
Buffer 	Safety 	Minimum 7.5 m above maximum water quality/erosion control water level
===.===
Water volume storage requirements based on catchment type and receiving waters
Performance level	Storage volume (m3/Ha) required according to catchment impervious cover	Storage volume (m3/Ha) required according to catchment impervious cover	Storage volume (m3/Ha) required according to catchment impervious cover	Storage volume (m3/Ha) required according to catchment impervious cover
Performance level	35% 	55% 	70% 	85%
80 % TSS removal 	80 	105 	120 	140
70 % TSS removal 	60 	70 	80 	90
60 % TSS removal 	60 	60 	60 	60
===Modeling sub-surface===
SubWet 2.0 is a modeling tool for sub-surface flow wetlands (both 100% constructed and naturalized/adapted). It can be used to simulate removal of nitrogen (including nitrogen in ammonia, nitrate and organic matter), phosphorus and BOD5 in mg/l and the corresponding removal efficiencies (in %). Although the model has been calibrated already with data from cold and warm climates, users can further calibrate and validate it using local data observations.
==Materials==
===Planting===
See Wetlands: Plants
==Performance==
Relative to a wet pond, a constructed wetland may offer added pollutant removal benefits due to enhanced biological uptake and the filtration effects of the vegetation.
Early stage wetlands readily sorb phosphorus onto substrates and sediments. Phosphorus removal in wetland systems is usually carried out by incorporating alum sedimentation ponds or sand filters as cells of the system, and/or by polishing wetland effluent in an iron-dosed mechanical filter.Jacques Whitford Consultants, 2008. CONSTRUCTED & ENGINEERED WETLANDS p. 1-21
Freezing temperatures in winter and early spring can reduce treatment if the wetland either freezes solid or a cover of ice prevents the water from entering the wetland. If under-ice water becomes confined, water velocities may increase, thereby reducing contact times. Runoff in excess of maximum design flows should be diverted around the wetland to avoid excessive flows through the wetland.
STEP (under previous name SWAMP) conducted their own research into the performance of stormwater wetlands, the project page and report can be viewed here.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority have been undertaking a coastal wetland monitoring project across Durham region, see here.
==Gallery==
==See also==
*SWM ponds
*Dry ponds
*Plants
==External links==
*Ontario's wetland conservation strategy
*Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies at Fleming College
===Articles for review===
#Kennedy, G., and T. Mayer. 2002. Natural and Constructed Wetlands in Canada: An Overview. Water Qual. Res. J. Canada 37(2): 295–325. doi: 10.2166/wqrj.2002.020.
#Bendoricchio, G., L. Dal Cin, and J. Persson. 2000. Guidelines for free water surface wetland design. EcoSys Bd 8: 51–91. http://www.pixelrauschen.de/wet/design.pdf (accessed 9 May 2018).
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Category: Green infrastructure