Surface flow constructed wetland for nutrient retention from agricultural catchment

Constructed wetlands are implemented to improve water quality, to offer a habitat for biological diversity support in simplified, uniform areas, and also as water storage for water reuse in dry summers. The pilot object in Latvia was built at the intensively used agricultural area to retain nutrients and suspended solids. Drainage runoff was collected in surface flow constructed wetland to ensure the appropriate conditions for the biological water treatment and retain phosphorous and nitrogen compounds and suspended solids.
The main practical benefits are a nutrient amount retained in artificial water bodies and knowledge-based on scientific studies and monitoring data in pilot sites. The stakeholders including farmers and legal beneficiaries can use good practice advice. The pilot site constructed wetland demonstrated a good example in the reuse of water recourse as providing irrigation from wetland as a water reservoir during dry periods of a year. Wetland capacity served to reduce flooding risks in adjacent areas during spring flood or heavy rains.
Groundwater recharge can be considered as one of the benefits of the practice. As the water treatment plant is designed with an open connection to groundwater, some water amount infiltrates into the upper ground levels depending on the site-specific conditions. The water quality is monitored in terms of the ongoing scientific activities and is acceptable for this initiative.