Environmentalists have referred to wetlands as nature's kidneys. Much interest has developed in recent years in using constructed wetlands to remove contaminants from water, whether it is effluent from municipal or private waste systems, industrial or agricultural wastewater, or acid mine drainage. This publication deals with the principles of creating surface flow wetlands for the removal of contaminants from wastewater generated by livestock production operations.

Constructed wetlands are used for stormwater treatment.  Storm runoff from urban areas causes pollutuion of the receiving watercourses.  Constructed wetlands can be a sustainable cost-effective and energy-efficient way of treating water.

Wetland is the umbrella name used to describe areas of land where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. Fens, reedbeds, marsh, bogs and peatland are all types of wetland. They occur where the water table is at, or near, the surface of the land or where the land is covered by shallow water, either permanently, seasonally or at different tidal states. - Read more