Free Water Surface Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment: A Technology Assessment

The purpose of Free Water Surface Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment: A Technology Assessment is to assess the application, performance, and scientific knowledge of free water surface (FWS) wetlands to treat municipal wastewater and to meet other societal and ecological needs. This report is not intended to cover subject areas to the extent needed for actual design and operation. Rather, the objective of this assessment is to produce a document that public works engineers, consulting engineers, regulatory agency representatives, researchers and citizens can use to evaluate the feasibility of FWS treatment wetland technology. The scope of this document includes a summary of the treatment processes operating in FWS treatment wetlands, a summary and evaluation of FWS treatment wetland performance, and discussion of important issues in the planning, design, and operation of FWS treatment wetlands.