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Potential Replacement of Septic Tank Drain Fields by Artificial Marsh Wastewater Treatment Systems a
Author(s) -
Fetter C. W.,
Sloey W. E.,
Spangler F. L.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1976.tb03133.x
Subject(s) - septic tank , effluent , marsh , environmental science , wastewater , sewage treatment , trench , environmental engineering , contamination , waste management , phosphorus , hydrology (agriculture) , wetland , ecology , chemistry , geology , engineering , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , layer (electronics)
Individual subsurface liquid waste disposal has been cited as a source of ground‐water contamination. Wastewater treatment systems using emergent marsh vegetation planted in a gravel substrate in a plastic‐lined trench could be used to treat septic tank effluent. A pilot plant treating unchlorinated primary municipal effluent achieved the following reductions in mass: BOD 5 ‐77%; COD‐71%; orthophosphate–35%; total phosphorus–37%; nitrate–22%; coliform bacteria–99.9%. While such treatment is possible only during the growing season, it could be useful at summer cottages, camping areas, resorts and roadside rest areas. Marsh treatment systems are inexpensive to operate and virtually automatic.