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Research Paper | Environmental Engineering | India | Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023
Effectiveness of Reed Bed Technology for Waste Water Treatment at Surface Level and Root Zone Level
Indu Rajan | Karthika MJ | Vyshakh VS
Abstract: Reed bed technology for wastewater treatment has been proven to be effective and eco-friendly sustainable alternative for conventional wastewater treatment technologies such as oxidation ponds, activated sludge process etc., which are expensive to erect and run. This technology mainly utilizes the root zone filtration technology which is an engineered method for purifying wastewater as it passes through an artificially constructed wetland system. This technique is sustainable one and it has already gained popularity in developed countries like Canada, however this technique is best suited for areas with water shortage since the water can be reused, with no operation cost, low maintenance, sustainable, eco-friendly and enhances the natural landscape. It is also preferred for rural areas which are isolated and are not connected to a proper sewage treatment facility. They also provide us with various ecosystem services such as rainwater harvest, recreation of flooded land area. When coupled with anaerobic digestion it leads to bio-energy production. The preliminary studies show that the artificial wetland which was planted with the reed species like Phragmites australis effectively reduces the BOD, COD and total solids content of the domestic wastewater. Also, the reed species effectively removes the nitrogen and phosphate content of domestic wastewater. So, this is very well suited for a developing country like India, where the aspect of wastewater treatment plants is mostly neglected and the facilities to treat wastewater do not function properly and remain closed for most of the time due to lack of proper infrastructure, improper design, poor maintenance, high operation cost, lack of technical manpower etc. This study evaluates the efficiency of the reed bed system in the removal of pollutants from municipal wastewater when wastewater was applied to the reed bed system at fixed intervals. Also, the variation in the efficiency of the reed bed system when the wastewater was applied at the surface and at the root zone of the reed species was also studied. It was found that that the treated water can be used for irrigation in places where there is acute water shortage.
Keywords: Root zone filtration, wastewater treatment, Constructed wetland, Sewage, Reed bed technology
Edition: Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023,
Pages: 990 - 995