Performance Evaluation of Constructed Wetlands for Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Muhammad Irfan Hakim; Siti Nur Aisyah Rahman

doi:10.70716/reswara.v3i1.425

Authors

Muhammad Irfan Hakim Department of Environmental Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia Author
Siti Nur Aisyah Rahman Department of Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70716/reswara.v3i1.425

Keywords:

constructed wetlands, domestic wastewater, pollutant removal, sustainable sanitation, nature-based solutions

Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) have emerged as an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective technology for domestic wastewater treatment, particularly in developing and tropical regions. This study aims to evaluate the performance of various constructed wetland configurations for domestic wastewater treatment based on a systematic synthesis of recent empirical studies. The research employed a structured literature analysis of peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2021 and 2025, focusing on pollutant removal efficiencies, system configurations, vegetation types, and operational conditions.
The results indicate that constructed wetlands consistently achieve high removal efficiencies for organic matter and suspended solids, with reported reductions ranging from 70% to 95% for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 60% to 90% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), and 75% to 98% for total suspended solids (TSS). Vertical flow and hybrid constructed wetlands generally outperform horizontal subsurface flow systems, particularly in nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The integration of innovative elements such as biochar media, aeration, and microbial fuel cells further enhances treatment performance and pollutant degradation.
This study confirms that constructed wetlands are a robust and adaptable solution for domestic wastewater treatment, offering significant environmental and socio-economic benefits. The findings support the wider implementation of constructed wetlands as a decentralized wastewater treatment strategy and highlight the importance of optimizing design parameters and plant selection for site-specific conditions.

References

Alufasi, R., Parawira, W., Zvidzai, C. J., et al. (2024). Performance evaluation of a pilot-scale constructed wetland with Typha latifolia for remediation of domestic wastewater in Zimbabwe. Water, 16(19), 2843. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192843

Ali, M., Aslam, A., Qadeer, A., et al. (2024). Domestic wastewater treatment by Pistia stratiotes in constructed wetland. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57329-y

Ang, S. Y., Goh, H. W., Shaharuddin, S., et al. (2025). Effectiveness of pilot-scale multi-pond constructed wetland system (MPCWS) for tropical island domestic sewage treatment. Research Square (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6901949/v1

Autlwetse, B., & Kimwaga, R. (2022). Effects of constructed wetlands plants on phosphorus removal from domestic wastewater in Gaborone, Botswana. Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology. https://doi.org/10.52339/tjet.v40i2.735

Carneiro, M. A., Athayde Júnior, G. B., Sena, R. F., et al. (2022). Raw sewage treatment by a single-stage vertical flow constructed wetland: A case study in Brazil. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2022.038

Chen, Y., Chen, Z., Dong, Y., et al. (2024). Enhanced treatment performance and reduction of antibiotic resistance genes of biochar-aeration vertical flow constructed wetland for treating real domestic wastewater. Chemical Engineering Research and Design. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.06.041

Cifuentes, J. I., Rivera, P., Paiz, J., et al. (2023). Comparison of contaminants removal efficiencies in wastewater using constructed wetlands of single and two stages. Revista AIDIS de Ingeniería y Ciencias Ambientales. https://doi.org/10.22201/iingen.0718378xe.2023.16.2.83506

Contreras, J. E., López, D., Gómez, G., et al. (2022). Seasonal enhancement of nitrogen removal on domestic wastewater treatment performance by partially saturated and saturated hybrid constructed wetland. Water. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14071089

Faisal, A. A. H. (2023). Using of constructed wetlands in the treatment of wastewater: A review for operation and performance. Majallat al-Handasat. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2023.07.11

Ho, V. B., Bui, K. Q., Le, D. V., et al. (2022). Domestic wastewater treatment using constructed wetland with para grass combined with sludge adsorption: Case study in Vietnam. SSRN Electronic Journal (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4122916

Huynh, Q. S., Truong, T., & Nguyen, M. L. (2025). Implementation of two distinct plant species in a constructed wetland system for domestic wastewater treatment. Tạp chí Giáo dục Kỹ thuật. https://doi.org/10.54644/jte.2025.1476

Hussein, A., & Al-Daffaie, K. (2021). The significant variables of effluent constructed wetlands treated domestic wastewater by statistical tests. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1090/1/012016

Kabbour, A., Mouhir, L., Benrahmane, L., et al. (2022). Domestic wastewater treatment using tidal flow constructed wetland. Desalination and Water Treatment. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2022.28475

Kumara, M. K., Oruganti, R. K., Tejavath, R., et al. (2024). The potential application of diatom-aided constructed floating wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment. Applied Science and Engineering Progress. https://doi.org/10.14416/j.asep.2024.12.004

Masharqa, A., Al-Tardeh, S. M., Mlih, R., et al. (2023). Vertical and hybrid constructed wetlands as a sustainable technique to improve domestic wastewater quality. Water. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193348

Matolisi, E., Damiri, N., & Imanudin, M. S. (2024). Performance of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland in domestic wastewater treatment using different media. Journal of Ecological Engineering. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/178273

Muhammad, M. N., Ahmad, S., Ahmed, W., et al. (2024). Performance evaluation of a constructed wetland system for treating industrial and domestic wastewater in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Plant and Environment. https://doi.org/10.54219/plantenviron.05.02.2024.278

Nguyen, M. L. (2022). Performance of constructed wetland on the removal of nutrient in domestic wastewater using Chrysopogon zizanioides. Tạp chí Giáo dục Kỹ thuật. https://doi.org/10.54644/jte.73.2022.1296

Parde, D., Patwa, A., Shukla, A., et al. (2021). A review of constructed wetland on type, treatment and technology of wastewater. Environmental Technology & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2020.101261

Patel, D., & Patel, P. (2023). Constructed wetland system as a natural technology to remediate wastewater. Journal of Advanced Zoology. https://doi.org/10.53555/jaz.v44i4.4548

Pérez, Y., Vargas, E., García-Cortés, D., et al. (2023). Efficiency and effectiveness of systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater based on subsurface flow constructed wetlands in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Water Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wse.2023.08.004

Pinninti, R., Kasi, V., Sallangi, L. K. S. V. P., et al. (2021). Performance of Canna indica based microscale vertical flow constructed wetland under tropical conditions for domestic wastewater treatment. International Journal of Phytoremediation. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2021.1962800

Rani, N., & Pohekar, K. N. (2021). Assessment of hybrid subsurface flow constructed wetland planted with Arundo donax for the treatment of domestic wastewater at different hydraulic retention time. Journal of Water Chemistry and Technology. https://doi.org/10.3103/S1063455X21020107

Ung, H. T. T., Leu, T., Tran, H. T. H., et al. (2022). Combining flowform cascade with constructed wetland to enhance domestic wastewater treatment. Environmental Technology & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2022.102537

Vishwakarma, S., & Dharmendra, D. (2023). Evaluating domestic wastewater treatment efficiency of field scale hybrid flow constructed wetland in series. Pollution. https://doi.org/10.22059/poll.2023.364339.2041

Xiong, X., Yang, S., Zhang, J., et al. (2024). Numerical simulation and evaluation of constructed wetland designs for effluent treatment based on MIKE21. Research Square (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4552346/v1

Yang, H.-Y., Chen, J., Yu, L., et al. (2022). Performance optimization and microbial community evaluation for domestic wastewater treatment in a constructed wetland microbial fuel cell. Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113249

Yaragal, R. R., Shet, R. T., & Mutnuri, S. (2023). Comparative study on the performances of modified vertical flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of domestic wastewater. Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/joeedu.eeeng-7107

Zhang, Y., Gong, Y., Chen, C., et al. (2024). Performance and influencing factors of vertical hybrid constructed wetland in treating domestic sewage. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/2205_45254539