Domestic Wastewater Treatment by Using a Two Stages Subsurface Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland: Removal Efficiency

Constructed wetlands are a sustainable way for the treatment and reuse wastewater; this is because of their contaminant’s high removal efficiency, easy construction, low cost of operation and maintenance compared with conventional systems for wastewater treatment. Constructed wetlands have been classified accord to their flow in surface flow constructed wetlands and subsurface flow constructed wetlands; these last are classified in vertical and horizontal due the water flow inside the system. The vertical constructed wetlands can work with a superior organic mass than horizontal constructed wetlands in a less area with the same flow to treat. This research has been focus on determine the removal of Biochemical Oxygen Demand and fecal coliforms from a domestic wastewater by using a two stages subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland which is planted with Scirpus ssp (tule); and its fluctuation stability in the input concentration, obtaining as a result a global removal of fecal coliforms of 99.99% (4.81 logarithmic units), a Biochemical Oxygen Demand removal of 94.46% and a constant removal even when it was a variation in the input concentration of these contaminants.