What is reed bed wastewater treatment?
Subsurface flow constructed wetlands (e.g., reed bed systems (RBS)) are biological wastewater treatment systems designed to mimic natural wetlands, require low investment, operational and maintenance costs by cultivating the emergent plants (e.g. reeds, bulrushes, and cattails) on growing media, and maintain ecological …
What do reed beds do to filter water?
Reeds pump oxygen into their root zone and sustain bacteria which clean the water. The maximum ammonia the bacteria can remove is about 2000mg/litre, and this rate is reduced by about 15% in winter due to colder temperatures.
Are reed beds legal?
In some cases, a reed bed is a legal requirement so it is important to ensure that you establish if this is a necessity first. There are certain sites where reed beds will be invaluable, such as those with poor drainage.” There are two types of basic reed bed: vertical flow and horizontal flow.
What animals live in reeds?
These include mammals such as Eurasian otter, European beaver, water vole, Eurasian harvest mouse and water shrew, and birds such as great bittern, purple heron, European spoonbill, water rail (and other rails), purple gallinule, marsh harrier, various warblers (reed warbler, sedge warbler etc.), bearded reedling and …
How do reed bed sewage systems work?
If your site has poor drainage, an alternative option is a reed bed. These aquatic plant based systems allow bacteria, fungi and algae to digest the organic matter in the effluent. In each case, the effluent percolates through layers of sand and gravel in an enclosed bed.
How long do reed beds last?
7 to 10 years
Reed beds are not a long term solution. They are a relatively new idea and even when they are designed and maintained properly, they will only be viable for up to a maximum of 7 to 10 years for reed beds that follow a full treatment plant as a final polishing filter only.
How effective are reed beds?
They are highly effective when properly designed and can be used in combination with ponds and wetlands to produce near river quality water. Vertical flow reed-beds are more effective at nitrifying effluents, converting ammonia into nitrates and nitrites, than most package sewage treatment plants.
Do reed beds smell?
A properly designed and maintained vertical flow reed-bed system will not smell. Being aerobic vertical flow reed-beds eliminate rather than create smells.
Are reeds good for ponds?
‘Don’t plant reeds or reedmace (bulrushes) in a small garden pond – they are very invasive. It ignores the habitat value of emergent plants, including bulrush. Bulrush is home to a variety of animals – like those shown below – and it provides habitat under the water.
What is reed bed sewage treatment system?
The sewage effluent flows through this zone and is treated by the micro-organisms. Early Reed Bed Sewage Treatment systems used the horizontal flow type of reed bed, where the liquid flows horizontally through the bed, though these had a lot of problems and have largely been replaced by other types.
How does a reed bed work?
How Does A Reed Bed Work? Reed beds are an aquatic plant-based system which allows bacteria in the root to feed on the organic matter contained in the sewage. Three types exist: For a better sewage treatment solution, the vertical and horizontal flow types of reed bed often get combined.
What is an aquatic reed bed?
Reed beds are an aquatic plant-based system which allows bacteria in the root to feed on the organic matter contained in the sewage. Three types exist: For a better sewage treatment solution, the vertical and horizontal flow types of reed bed often get combined.
Do I need an electrical system for a reed bed?
Down-flow reed-beds are normally used for treating septic tank effluent. Unless the site has a decent gradient, it is not usually possible to avoid the need for electrical power when designing a reed bed system. Even simple horizontal flow designs usually need control systems in order to ensure that surge flows don’t swamp the system.