Constructed subsurface wetlands for storm water management: UK and US - Essay Example

It can also be done to improve its conditions so it can hold or sustain future storm without being turned into wetlands. Storm usually causes a lot of property destruction, leaving or turning some areas wetlands with water runoffs. Water is a fundamental part of our daily life; therefore industries should adopt new management scheme to curb pollutants in water. Water industries have ensured such problems are advocated and proper scientific measure employed. Introduction Constructed water wetlands are modern systems devised to remove water runoffs and pollutants into main land through filtering and absorption by vegetation.

Wetlands are water logged areas with plants typically adapted to drenched soil conditions. Constructed wetlands store water runoffs temporarily into shallow constructed pools where wetland vegetations can grow and be supported by these conditions (Cappiella & McNeal 2007). There are two main types of constructed water wetlands namely, subsurface gravel wetlands and standard wetlands designed for treating such impurities. It is also used in development sites and makes land available for wildlife habitats.

This method is ecologically friendly therefore a lot of industrial firms should opt to use it to treat their industrial waste (Letcher 2007). These companies should also realize that this method is relatively easier and cost effective compared to mechanical treatment. It also has the same chemical reaction process as mechanical treatment. Reason for adopting this method Need to operate land in support of mechanical complexity. It usually demands vast land, simpler than other treatment method and employ range of biological treatment.

Hence, this is advantageous in developed countries because of easy access to infrastructures. Secondly, it corporate a long term pollutant control strategy with up to 20 to 50 years of management of pollution. This strategy is cost effective and helps most industries to run effectively without incurring a lot of operational cost. Thus it is favorable for companies that deal with food production, mining, landfill, transportation and oil and gas extraction. Lastly, they are usually located in areas where it is hard to access and are naturally stable, making it to conform to regulatory compliance of ecosystem (Letcher 2007).

Types of constructed wetlands for storm water management: Subsurface gravel wetland Subsurface gravel wetlands (SGW) are mainly designed to remove pollutants completely through chemical conversion, uptake as well as settling of storm water runoffs. It directs flow into a swamp thereafter discharges it permanently into a pool with the bed made of gravels. It is consider being the best management practices for any industrial company. It is used to remove a lot of varieties of pollutants in storm water runoffs.

The reason why it’s considered to be the best management practice is because it removes nitrogen through a process of anaerobic- nitrogen-decomposition and aerobic-nitrogen fixation (Abtew, Piccone & Pietro 2007). Standard surface wetlands This type of wetland water management system has an open marshland where flow is directed. Most standard surface wetlands aims are to improve water quality standards (WQS) hence a foundation of quality based pollution control according to Clean Water Acts.

It employs scientific information by using defined criteria to improve water