Baseline measurements on the performance of four constructed wetlands in tropical Australia

Constructed wetlands provide several benefits that are not solely limited to storm water management and are becoming common in storm water management. In this research, four recently constructed wetlands underwent in situ and laboratory water sampling to determine their efficiency in removing storm water pollutants over a 5-month period. From the sampling results, it was determined that each of the wetlands was able to reduce the concentration of pollutants in the stormwater. To aid in the assessment of the wetlands against each other, a model was developed to determine the extent of removal of stormwater pollutants over the length of the wetland. The results from this model complimented the data collected from the field. Improvements, such as increased amounts of vegetation were recommended for the wetlands with the aim of increasing the effectiveness. Further investigations into the wetlands will allow for better understanding of the wetland's performance.