Mburu N., Tebitendwa S.M., Rousseau D.P.L., Van Bruggen J.J.A., Lens P.N.L.
UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA, Delft, Netherlands; Dept. of Civil and Structural Engineering, Masinde Muliro Univ. of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega, Kenya; Kampala City Council, P.O. Box 7010, Kampala, Uganda; Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Ghent Univ., Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Environmental Sciences, Univ. College West Flanders, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
Mburu, N., UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA, Delft, Netherlands, Dept. of Civil and Structural Engineering, Masinde Muliro Univ. of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega, Kenya; Tebitendwa, S.M., Kampala City Council, P.O. Box 7010, Kampala, Uganda; Rousseau, D.P.L., Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Ghent Univ., Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium, Environmental Sciences, Univ. College West Flanders, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Van Bruggen, J.J.A., UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA, Delft, Netherlands; Lens, P.N.L., UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA, Delft, Netherlands
The lack of information on constructed-wetland performance in the tropics is among the factors that have hindered the adoption of low-cost wastewater-treatment technologies as alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment. A pilot scale study was undertaken in Juja (Kenya) to assess the performance of horizontal subsurface flow-constructed wetlands (HSSF-CWs) under tropical conditions. Primary domestic wastewater effluent was continuously fed into three replicate wetland cells, each with an area of 22.5 m2 (7.5×3 m) and with gravel as substrate. The study revealed successful performance of the wetlands in terms of compliance with local discharge standards with respect to chemical-oxygen demand (COD), BOD5, total suspended solids (TSS), and SO42 - S at an average mass removal efficiency between 58.9 and 74.9%. Moderate removal of NH4+-N and total phosphorus (TP) was recorded. The estimated first-order aerial-rate constant and the BOD5 background concentration showed the HSSF-CW to be area-requirement competitive. The good performance in organic matter and suspended solids removal reveals that HSSF-CW can help to alleviate the current environmental pollution problems experienced in developing countries caused by the discharge of partially treated or untreated domestic wastewater. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.