USING FLOATING WETLAND TREATMENT SYSTEMS TO REDUCE STORMWATER POLLUTION FROM URBAN DEVELOPMENTS

Abstract

Floating treatment wetland (FTW) systems are an innovative stormwater treatment technology
currently being trialled in Australia. FTWs provide support for selected plant species to remove pollutants from
stormwater discharged into a storage basin. The plant roots provide large surface areas for biofilm growth,
which serves to trap suspended particles and enable the biological uptake of nutrients. FTWs can be installed
at the start of the construction phase and can therefore start treating construction runoff almost immediately.
FTWs have the potential to provide a full range of stormwater runoff treatment (e.g. sediment and nutrient
removal) from the construction phase onwards. A 101 m2 FTWs has been installed within a greenfield
development site on the Sunshine Coast, in Australia. The two-year research study investigated the pollution
removal performance of the FTW for two different locations, one with low and one with moderate influent
pollutant concentrations. This paper presents the research methodology used, and the initial study results of
the treatment efficiency of FTWs.