A Comparison of Stormwater Wetland Treatment Systems

Natural and constructed wetlands are being built in locations throughout the United States to improve the quality of stormwater runoff. However, substantial consideration must be given before such a project can be undertaken. This paper identifies some of the differences between constructed and natural surface-flow wetlands for stormwater treatment. Topics included in the discussion are: the objectives of stormwater wetlands, some physical and operational differences between natural and constructed wetland systems, the pollutant removal capability of stormwater wetland systems, and considerations for selection of wetland type for stormwater runoff treatment