Theses and Dissertations Collection

Small communities have a small tax base, limited funding, limited staffing, and must still meet all federal and state requirements for the treatment of wastewater. Many small communities in the United States are facing the challenging problem of how to replace aging rural infrastructure like wastewater treatment systems with limited resources. This is compounded by increasingly stringent water quality standards for treated effluent. Constructed wetlands provide a cost-effective solution for wastewater treatment that can be applied to small communities and provide sustainable benefits that traditional engineered systems cannot, such as wildlife habitat, energy savings, irrigation water, and recreation area. Case studies of effective wastewater treatment wetlands are presented. Cost, effectiveness, and benefits of constructed wastewater treatment wetlands are compared to traditional systems to demonstrate the value and feasibility of constructed wastewater treatment wetlands. Permitting and funding logistics are discussed, with specific examples from a rural community in Idaho.