Modular Wetland System: A History of Wetland Treatment and Case Study of an Advanced Subsurface Flow Wetland to Treat Stormwater and Continuous Nuisance Flows

Wetlands are nature's way of filtering polluted waters. They act as buffer zones between upland areas and water bodies, such as lakes and oceans. Various treatment technologies based upon wetlands have been applied in numerous applications relating to improvement of water quality. Over the past 30 years various types of wetland treatment systems have been used. One particular type, the subsurface flow wetland, has demonstrated exceptionally high performance given smaller footprints. Other advantages will be discussed in following sections. Currently, new generations of manufactured or modular subsurface flow wetland systems are being used to provide treatment of stormwater runoff and nuisance flows. This generation focuses on better engineered pretreatment systems and new wetland media mixes that increase performance and decrease maintenance costs. These systems are designed for use in very urbanized areas where no space exists for traditional wetland designs. Various case studies have been done showing the effectiveness of these systems. This paper outlines the history, advancement, and success of subsurface flow wetland technology, and the results of the latest case study done on an innovative design known as the Modular Wetland^TMSystem — Linear.