Reed beds are not just landscaping. Designed properly, they are a measurable, low-energy polishing step.
A stage, not a garden
An engineered wetland has a hydraulic design, a loading rate and a performance specification like any other treatment stage. The difference is that it runs on sunlight.
Where it fits
Wetlands work best as tertiary polishing for nutrients and suspended solids where land is available. They are not a substitute for secondary treatment.
Measured results
At Saltmarsh, continuous inlet and outlet monitoring shows a 63% reduction in nutrient load. The site has also recorded 38 new bird species since construction.
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