Constructed Wetlands for touristic activities
Constructed wetlands often result the best solution to treat wastewater generated from touristic activities. Indeed, this nature-based solution has high removal efficiencies, avoids the building od long sewer systems, and has a low environmental impact and an optimal landscaping.
Advantages
- high organic and nutrient load treatment
- high pathogen removal
- simple construction and functioning
- simple maintenance
- low CAPEX in comparison to conventional technological solutions
- no or almost negligible energy consumptions
- very low OPEX
- landscaping
- no odour issues
- possibility to reuse the treated wastewater
More information
Regarding wastewater treatment, the principal peculiarity of tourism facilities is the great variability of the presence of customers, with a consequent production of wastewater characterized by strong fluctuations during all the year: due to this fact, conventional depuration systems do not assure the necessary depurative efficiencies, bringing many problems of smell and digestion. Tourism facilities, moreover, are often situated in areas of great naturalistic interest, and so it is necessary to pay great attention to the management of effluents and to the environmental impact of the system.
Constructed wetlands present the necessary characteristics to satisfy all these aspects. Their application for treating wastewater of tourism facilities like agritourism, hotels, residences and campings, has given very good results, especially against conventional depuration systems. Phytodepuration, in fact, reacts very well to fluctuations of wastewater load and needs limited and not specialistic maintenance. This aspect allows the management and maintenance of the system directly by the tourism facility's owner, without the necessity of highly specialized personnel.
Since 2000, Iridra participates to an European project (SWAMP) that aims to the elaboration of natural depuration systems for treatment of wastewater produced by tourism facilities placed in isolated areas and by agritourism in rural areas of 10 to 1000 person, with techniques for utilization of treated water and a rational management of water resources: the realized plants inside the project have been monitored, and results of these surveying show the efficacy of constructed wetland systems in these situations.
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CW system serving the touristic village of HAPIMAG in Pentolina (Chiusdino - SI, Italy), designed by IRIDRA
CW for the Garelli shelter (Chiusa di Pesio - CN, Italy). Realization in mountain site (2000 m a.s.l.). Sited in an area of high naturalistic value (Natural Park of Marguerite). Nature-based solution realized under the Interreg project ALCOTRA
References
IRIDRA's authors are highlighted in bold.
Masi F., Martinuzzi N., Bresciani R., Giovannelli L. and Conte G., “Tolerance to hydraulic and organic load fluctuations in constructed wetlands”. Water Science & Technology, 56, 3, 39-48, 2007.
