A Two-Stage Constructed Wetland Design
Integrating Artificial Aeration and Sludge
Mineralization for Municipal Wastewater
Treatment
7
Alexandros I. Stefanakis
Abstract
The technology of constructed wetlands is well known for its multiple benefits in
terms of cost-efficiency and environmental performance. The main advantage
arises during the operational phase for which the related costs can be significantly
lower compared to common conventional/mechanical solutions. One of the main
limitations is, however, the higher area demand, which usually limits the application range of these systems to areas where adequate land is available. Over the last
years, various modifications have been tested towards the optimization of the
system design in terms of both pollutant removal efficiency and reducing area
demands. The introduction of air using artificial means has gained significant
attraction among researchers and engineers mainly due to the reduced area
requirements. Furthermore, the implementation of such systems in arid and dry
climates is always a technical and operational challenge. Bauer Nimr LLC
designed and constructed in 2017–2018 a new constructed wetland facility in
Oman using a novel combination of different wetland designs. The first stage is a
vertical flow constructed wetland with integrated sludge accumulation and
dewatering, and the second stage is an aerated horizontal subsurface flow
constructed wetland. This hybrid system is designed to treat 350 m
3 /day of
domestic wastewater from a nearby residential area with approx. 1800 persons
equivalent. This facility introduces not only an innovative design with minimum
footprint (1.6 m
2 /PE), but it is also designed to provide a treated effluent quality
that meets the strict national standards for irrigation reuse. This is the first hybrid
wetland system of that design implemented in the GCC region under desert
climatic conditions, which also acts as a first full-scale demonstration of the
A. I. Stefanakis (*)
School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Crete, Greece
Bauer Nimr LLC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
e-mail: astefanakis@enveng.tuc.gr
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Prasad (ed.), Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Environmental and
Microbial Biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5499-5_7
195
Integrating Artificial Aeration and Sludge
Mineralization for Municipal Wastewater
Treatment
7
Alexandros I. Stefanakis
Abstract
The technology of constructed wetlands is well known for its multiple benefits in
terms of cost-efficiency and environmental performance. The main advantage
arises during the operational phase for which the related costs can be significantly
lower compared to common conventional/mechanical solutions. One of the main
limitations is, however, the higher area demand, which usually limits the application range of these systems to areas where adequate land is available. Over the last
years, various modifications have been tested towards the optimization of the
system design in terms of both pollutant removal efficiency and reducing area
demands. The introduction of air using artificial means has gained significant
attraction among researchers and engineers mainly due to the reduced area
requirements. Furthermore, the implementation of such systems in arid and dry
climates is always a technical and operational challenge. Bauer Nimr LLC
designed and constructed in 2017–2018 a new constructed wetland facility in
Oman using a novel combination of different wetland designs. The first stage is a
vertical flow constructed wetland with integrated sludge accumulation and
dewatering, and the second stage is an aerated horizontal subsurface flow
constructed wetland. This hybrid system is designed to treat 350 m
3 /day of
domestic wastewater from a nearby residential area with approx. 1800 persons
equivalent. This facility introduces not only an innovative design with minimum
footprint (1.6 m
2 /PE), but it is also designed to provide a treated effluent quality
that meets the strict national standards for irrigation reuse. This is the first hybrid
wetland system of that design implemented in the GCC region under desert
climatic conditions, which also acts as a first full-scale demonstration of the
A. I. Stefanakis (*)
School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Crete, Greece
Bauer Nimr LLC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
e-mail: astefanakis@enveng.tuc.gr
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Prasad (ed.), Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Environmental and
Microbial Biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5499-5_7
195