Evaluation and applicability of water quality and nutrients removal by coastal wetlands receiving treated municipal wastewater and its application

• Published in: Management of environmental quality 2011-01, Vol.22 (4), p.522-531
• Main Authors: Hu, Chih-Yang, Jin, Guang, Englande, A.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Canals; Coastal; Dissolved oxygen; Effluents; Environmental degradation; Environmental management; Environmental quality; Environmental restoration; Floods; Hydrology; Laboratories; Municipal wastewater; Nutrient removal; Nutrients; Organic carbon; Organic phosphorus; Oxidation; Quality assurance; Quality control; Receiving; Restoration; River ecology; Saline water; Saline water intrusion; Salinity; Sampling; Statistical significance; Storms; Studies; Thermal pollution; Variance analysis; Waste water; Wastewater discharges; Water analysis; Water quality; Water quality assessments; Water sampling; Water treatment; Wetlands
• ISSN: 1477-7835; 1758-6119
• DOI: 10.1108/14777831111136108

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the water quality of the wetland that received treated municipal wastewater for 40 years and its application for nutrients removal and wetland restoration.Design methodology approach - To assess the water quality impact of the study, wetland sampling sites were selected to represent the receiving wetland, wetland background, effluent discharge point, and the adjacent canals. Water samples were taken in different seasons of the year and analyzed for water quality parameters including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chloride, total organic carbon, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, TKN and phosphorus. USEPA-approved standard methods were followed and Quality Assurance Quality Control procedures were compiled. Analysis of variance and Student Newman-Keuls Post-Hoc analysis were performed on the sampling results to evaluate the water quality differences among the sampling sites.Findings - No water quality degradation was detected in the wetland study after receiving treated municipal wastewater for 40 years. Dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature were not different from the background level. Total organic carbon and nutrients levels reduced significantly in the receiving wetland, indicating effective waste assimilation. Salinity in the immediate receiving area was reduced substantially, which offers potential application to buffer saltwater intrusion and wetland restoration.Practical implications - The practice in this study offers potential implications in wastewater nutrients removal, wetland restoration, minimizing saltwater intrusion in coastal wetland.Originality value - This study investigated the water quality impact in wetland after receiving municipal effluent for 40 years. Results provide evidence of effective assimilation in wetlands and offer potential applications in coastal wetland restoration.