Removal efficiency of subsurface vertical flow

Water Science & Technology Vol 56 No 3 pp 75–84 Q IWA Publishing 2007

constructed wetlands for different organic loads
G. Langergraber*, C. Prandtstetten**, A. Pressl*, R. Rohrhofer** and R. Haberl*
*Institute for Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life
Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
(E-mail: guenter.langergraber@boku.ac.at)
** O¨ KOREAL GmbH, Carl Reichert-Gasse 28, A-1170, Vienna, Austria

Abstract Using subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands (SSVFCWs) with intermittent loading it is possible
to fulfil the stringent Austrian effluent standards regarding nitrification. For small plants (less than 500 persons)
standards for ammonia nitrogen concentration have to be met at water temperatures higher than 12 8C, effluent
concentrations and treatment efficiencies for organic matter have to be met the whole year around. According to the
Austrian design standards the required surface area for SSVFCWs treating wastewater was 5 m2 per person. Within the
first part of an Austrian research project the goal was to optimise, i.e. minimise the surface area requirement of vertical
flow beds. Therefore, three SSVFCWs with a surface area of 20 m2 each have been operated in parallel. The organic
loads applied were 20, 27 and 40 g COD/m2/d, which corresponds to a specific surface area requirement of 4, 3 and 2
m2 per PE, respectively. The paper compares the effluent concentrations and elimination efficiencies of the three
parallel operated beds. It could be shown that a specific area demand of 4 m2 per person is suitable to be included in
the revision of the Austrian design standard. Additionally it could be shown that during the warmer seasons (May–
October) when the temperature of the effluent is higher than 12 8C the specific surface area might be further reduced;
even 2 m2 per person has been proven to be adequate.
Keywords Austrian design standards; organic load; specific surface area requirement; subsurface vertical flow
constructed wetlands

Introduction
Wetlands designed to improve water quality, i.e. constructed wetlands (CWs) or treat-
ment wetlands, use the same processes that occur in natural wetlands but have the flexi-
bility of being constructed. These systems are used worldwide to treat different qualities
of water (e.g. Kadlec et al., 2000; Langergraber and Haberl, 2001; Haberl et al., 2003).
Subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands (SSVFCWs) with intermittent loading can
achieve full nitrification. This is required to fulfil the stringent Austrian effluent standards.
For small plants (less than 500 persons) the maximum effluent concentration allowed for
ammonia nitrogen is 10 mg/L. This has to be met at water temperatures higher than 12 8C. For
organic matter effluent concentrations (90 mg COD/L and 25 mg BOD5/L) and treatment
efficiencies (85 and 95% for COD and BOD 5, respectively) have to be met the whole year
around. For small plants there is no standard for total nitrogen and phosphorus (1.AEVkA,
1996).
According to the Austrian design standards (O¨ NORM B 2505, 1997) the required
surface area for SSVFCWs treating wastewater was 5 m2 per person. Within the first part
of the research project “Optimization of subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands
(Bepflanzte Bodenfilter)” the main goal was to optimise, i.e. minimise, the surface area
requirement for vertical flow beds. To investigate the behaviour of differently loaded
SSVFCWs three vertical flow beds have been constructed and operated in parallel with
different organic loads. The results of these experiments are presented in this paper.
doi: 10.2166/wst.2007.495 75
 Materials and methods
The experimental CW Ernsthofen
The experimental CW (Figure 1) is located at the wastewater treatment plant Ernsthofen
(Lower Austria). The plant was constructed in spring 2003. Data presented are from the
second year of operation from spring 2004 to spring 2005. The inflow is taken after the
grid of the wastewater treatment plant. For mechanical pre-treatment a three-chamber
septic tank has been used. The experimental plant consists of three SSVFCWs with a
G. Langergraber et al.

surface area of 20 m2 each that have been operated in parallel with intermittent loading (four
loadings a day). The experimental plant was operated automatically using a LabVieww
program.
The filter beds were constructed according to the Austrian design standards (O¨ NORM
B 2505, 1997). The 50-cm main layer consists of sandy substrate (grain size 0.06 – 4
mm; d10 ¼ 0.2 mm; d60 ¼ 0.8 mm). A 10-cm intermediate layer with a gravel size of 4 – 8
mm prevents fine particles being washed out into the drainage layer (15 cm; gravel
size 16 – 32 cm) where the effluent is collected by means of three tile drains. The distribution
system consisted of four pipes (distance between the pipes 1 m) with holes (8 mm) every
75 cm. The beds have been planted with common reed (Phragmites australis).
The organic load applied to the three beds was 20, 27 and 40 g COD/m 2/d, which corre-
sponds to a specific area demand of 4, 3 and 2 m 2 per person, respectively (when considering
a specific pollutant load for mechanically pre-treated wastewater of 80 g COD per person).

Sampling and analysis

Water samples were collected by the local plant operators on a weekly basis and have
been analysed in the on-site plant laboratory for suspended solids (SS), organic matter
(COD and BOD5), nitrogen (NH4-N, NO2-N, and NO3-N) and phosphorus (PO4-P). The
plant laboratory data were checked on a bimonthly basis by analysing parallel samples in
the university laboratory. The analyses at the university laboratory were in good
agreement with the on-site plant laboratory. In addition, the following parameters were
analysed in the university laboratory: total organic carbon (TOC), organic and total nitro-
gen (Norg and TN, respectively) and total phosphorus (TP).

3-chamber septic tank

Inflow (after
grid)

Bed 1 Bed 2 Bed 3

20 g COD/m2/d 27 g COD/m2/d 40 g COD/m2/d

(4 m2/PE) (3 m2/PE) (2 m2/PE)

Effluent shaft
Outflow

76 Figure 1 Schematic layout of the experimental plant in Ernsthofen, Lower Austria (top view)
Table 1 Influent concentrations

Parameter Unit SS BOD5 COD NH4-N NO3-N TN TP

No. of samples – 49 46 49 55 49 6 6
Median value mg/L 130 380 545 68.0 0.40 83.9 12.0
Mean value mg/L 133 375 554 67.6 0.42 84.8 12.1
95% confidence interval mg/L 10 11 17 1.5 0.02 3.2 0.6
Standard deviation mg/L 34 37 61 5.8 0.07 4.0 0.8

G. Langergraber et al.
Maximum mg/L 270 460 728 81.7 0.63 89.6 13.2
Minimum mg/L 70 280 402 52.9 0.28 81.0 11.0

Table 2 COD load and specific surface area

Parameter COD load (g COD/m2/d) Specific surface area (m2/PE)

Bed 1 2 3* 1 2 3*

No. of samples 49 49 29 49 49 29
Median value 17.5 23.4 35.1 4.6 3.4 2.3
Mean value 17.8 23.8 36.2 4.5 3.4 2.2
95% confidence interval 0.5 0.7 1.5 0.1 0.1 0.1
Standard deviation 1.9 2.6 4.1 0.5 0.4 0.3
Maximum 23.4 31.3 47.0 6.2 4.6 3.0
Minimum 12.9 17.3 26.5 3.4 2.6 1.7
*Bed 3 was only operated until mid-December 2004 when clogging occurred

Statistical methods
“STATGRAPHICSq Plus for Windows 4.0” was used for statistical evaluation. Figures
show “Box-and-Whisker Plots”. The box encloses the middle 50% of the data and the
median value is drawn as a horizontal line inside the box; the mean value is given as a
cross. Vertical lines (whiskers) extend from each end of the box. The lower/upper
whisker is drawn from the lower/upper quartile to the smallest/largest value within 1.5
inter-quartile ranges. The dots represent outliers. The length of the notch around the
median value represents a 95% confidence interval for the median value. If the notches
of two median values from different data groups do not overlap there is a statistically sig-
nificant difference among the median values at the 95% confidence level.

Figure 2 COD influent and effluent concentrations (Langergraber et al., 2007) 77

78

Table 3 COD effluent concentrations and removal rates

Parameter Effluent concentrations (mg/L) Removal rates

Temperature > 12 8C < 12 8C > 12 8C < 12 8C

Bed 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3*

No. of samples 29 29 29 20 20 9 29 29 29 20 20 6
Median value 27 28 27 45 182 95.3% 94.9% 95.4% 93.8% 91.3% 80.7%
Mean value 27 28 27 46 151 95.2% 95.0% 95.1% 93.3% 91.3% 80.1%
95% confidence interval 2 2 3 5 49 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 1.3% 1.2% 9.5%
Standard deviation 5 5 7 12 75 1.0% 1.0% 1.2% 2.9% 2.7% 11.8%
Maximum 38 37 52 72 228 97.0% 96.7% 97.2% 96.3% 95.6% 95.0%
Minimum 16 18 15 24 27 93.2% 92.8% 91.4% 84.7% 86.3% 62.3%
*Bed 3 was only operated until mid-December 2004 when clogging occurred
 G. Langergraber et al.
Figure 3 COD effluent concentrations for .12 8C (left) and 6 8C (right)

Figure 4 COD effluent concentrations versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82 (right)

Results and discussion

Influent concentrations and organic loads
The concentrations of the mechanically pre-treated wastewater, i.e. the influent concen-
trations to the vertical flow beds at the experimental CW Ernsthofen, during the investi-
gation period (April 2004 – March 2005) are shown in Table 1. The measured influent
concentrations are high with regard to mechanically pre-treated wastewater and have been
very constant throughout the investigation period. Table 2 shows the resulting COD load
and specific surface areas.

Effluent concentrations and removal rates

Figure 2 shows the COD influent and effluent concentrations during the investigation
period. The effluent standards in Austria (90 mg COD/L) have been met for bed 1 and
bed 2 with a specific surface area of 4 and 3 m2 per person, respectively. For the highest
loaded bed 3 (2 m2 per person) the effluent concentrations exceeded the effluent standard
at water temperatures below 8 8C (end of November 2004) and finally clogging occurred mid-
December 2004. Therefore, data shown for bed 3 include only the period until clogging
occurred and data evaluation for low temperatures could only be carried out for beds 1 and
2 in which no clogging occurred.
Table 3 summarises the COD effluent concentrations and removal rates for effluent
water temperatures higher and lower than 12 8C, respectively. No statistical significant
difference occurred for water temperatures higher than 12 8C for effluent concentrations
(Figure 3, left) and removal rates. The median values of the COD effluent concentrations
and removal rates at temperatures higher than 12 8C were 27 mg/L and 95.3%, respect-
ively. For lower temperatures, significant differences in the COD effluent concentrations
occurred between the beds (e.g. Figure 3, right, for 6 8C). Figure 4 shows the COD
effluent concentration versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82 (right). 79
80

Table 4 BOD5 effluent concentrations and removal rates

Parameter Effluent concentrations (mg/L) Removal rates

Temperature > 12 8C < 12 8C > 12 8C < 12 8C

Bed 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3*

No. of samples 26 27 27 19 19 5 26 27 27 19 19 5
Median value 3.0 4.0 5.0 20 40 99.2% 98.9% 98.7% 98.2% 94.7% 90.9%
Mean value 3.4 4.4 5.0 19 71 99.1% 98.8% 98.7% 97.4% 94.8% 83.5%
95% confidence interval 0.5 0.5 0.4 5 61 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 1.1% 1.4% 14.0%
Standard deviation 1.4 1.4 1.1 11 70 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 2.4% 3.2% 16.0%
Maximum 8.0 9.0 7.0 39 160 99.7% 99.4% 99.3% 99.5% 99.2% 97.6%
Minimum 1.0 2.0 3.0 3 9 97.9% 97.6% 97.9% 89.5% 88.8% 63.6%
*Bed 3 was only operated until mid-December 2004 when clogging occurred
 G. Langergraber et al.
Figure 5 BOD5 effluent concentrations versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82 (right)

The required effluent standards for COD could be met with both bed 1 and bed 2 with 4
and 3 m2 per person, respectively.
Table 4 shows the BOD5 effluent concentrations and removal rates for effluent water
temperatures higher and lower than 12 8C, respectively. Again, during operation at tempera-
tures higher than 12 8C no statistically significant difference occurred between the different
organic loads. The median values of the BOD 5 effluent concentrations and removal rates at
temperatures higher than 12 8C were 4 mg/L and 98.9%, respectively. Figure 5 shows the
BOD5 effluent concentration versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82 (right).
In contrast to COD, the BOD5 effluent concentrations exceeded the maximum allowed
value for bed 2 (specific surface area of 3 m2 per person) at effluent water temperatures lower
than 6 8C.
The NH4-N and NO3-N effluent concentrations for water temperatures higher and lower
than 12 8C, respectively, are shown in Table 5. The effluent standards for ammonia nitrogen in
Austria have been met for all beds, i.e. the effluent concentrations were lower than 10 mg/L for
effluent water temperatures higher than 12 8C. No statistically significant difference could be
observed between the different organic loads for the NH4-N and NO3-N effluent
concentrations (Figure 6, left). The median values of the NH4-N and NO3-N effluent
concentrations at tem- peratures higher than 12 8C were 0.03 and 55.5 mg/L, respectively.
For water temperatures lower than 12 8C significant differences between the NH4-N
effluent concentrations of the beds occurred (e.g. Figure 6 right, for 6 8C). Figure 7 shows
NH4-N effluent concentration versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82
(right). For bed 1 (20 g COD/m2/d, 4 m2 per person) the ammonia effluent concentration
exceeded the effluent standard only at temperatures lower than 6 8C, for bed 2 (27 g
COD/m2/d, 3 m2 per person) at temperatures lower than 8 8C. However, for the highest
loaded bed (bed 3, 40 g COD/m2/d, 2 m2 per person) the ammonia effluent concentration
exceeded the effluent standard as soon as the temperature dropped below 12 8C (about
two months before failure of bed 3 due to clogging).

Summary and conclusions

The results of the experiments regarding the optimisation of the required filter surface
area at the experimental CW Ernsthofen can be summarised as follows.
• For effluent water temperatures higher than 12 8C the effluent concentrations were far
below the allowed maximum effluent concentrations and above the required removal
efficiencies for all three beds. No statistically significant differences between the beds
with different organic loadings could be observed. However, beds with higher organic
loading respond more sensitively to fluctuations of the influent concentrations.
• Bed 1 (organic load 20 g COD/m2/d) met the required effluent standards and removal
efficiencies the whole year around. Ammonia nitrogen concentrations still could be
met when effluent water temperatures were around 6 8C. 81
82

Table 5 NH4-N and NO3-N effluent concentrations (mg/L)

Parameter NH4-N NO3-N

Temperature > 12 8C < 12 8C > 12 8C < 12 8C

Bed 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3* 1 2 3*

No. of samples 29 29 29 35 35 9 29 29 29 20 20 9
Median value 0.03 0.03 0.05 2.8 18.6 34.5 54.8 56.2 55.4 54.6 38.4 3.5
Mean value 0.20 0.08 0.13 6.6 17.5 36.9 53.8 55.5 55.8 49.4 39.0 11.1
95% confidence interval 0.29 0.05 0.08 2.7 3.6 13.1 2.8 2.9 3.3 5.5 6.0 9.7
Standard deviation 0.81 0.15 0.21 8.1 10.9 20.1 7.8 8.1 9.0 12.5 13.8 14.9
Maximum 4.37 0.80 1.14 29.5 37.4 64.4 69.4 69.0 76.2 63.8 59.4 47.2
Minimum 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.1 0.5 1.7 35.6 37.2 34.8 17.3 14.2 2.4
*Bed 3 was only operated until mid-December 2004 when clogging occurred
 G. Langergraber et al.
Figure 6 NH4-N effluent concentrations for .12 8C (left) and 6 8C (right)

Figure 7 NH4-N effluent concentrations versus effluent temperature for bed81 (left) and bed82 (right)

• Bed 2 (27 g COD/m2 /d) did not meet the effluents standards for organic matter as the
effluent concentrations for BOD5 exceeded the maximum allowed concentration
(25 mg/L) for a short period in winter at water temperatures lower than 4 8C. Ammonia
nitrogen concentrations exceeded the maximum concentration allowed at water tem-
peratures lower than 8 8C.
• Bed 3 (40 g COD/m 2/d) failed during operation in winter. Despite the high organic
load the filter worked well as long as the effluent water temperatures were higher than
12 8C. High organic loads are therefore applicable for plants that are only operated
during the warm season when effluent water temperatures are above 12 8C.
It can be concluded that a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland with intermit-
tent loading operated with an organic load of 20 g COD/m 2/d (i.e. 4 m2 per person) can
fulfil the requirements of the Austrian standard regarding maximum effluent concen-
trations and minimum elimination efficiencies. Therefore a specific area requirement of
4 m2 per person has been included in the revision of the Austrian design
standard
(O¨ NORM B, 2005). Based on experiments in Germany (Fehr et al., 2003) the value of
4 m2 per person has been included also in the revision of the German design standards
(DWA, 2006).
In addition it could be shown that during the warmer months (May– October) with
effluent water temperature higher than 12 8C the specific surface area might be further
reduced even 2 m2 per person has been proven to be adequate.

Acknowledgements
The experiments were carried out within the project “Optimization of subsurface vertical
flow constructed wetlands (Bepflanzte Bodenfilter)” funded by the Austrian Ministry for
Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. The authors are grateful for
support and especially thank the mayor of the municipality of Ernsthofen, Mr Karl
Huber, for making the construction of the experimental plant at the WWTP Ernsthofen 83
 possible as well as the staff of the WWTP Ernsthofen, Mr Franz Eglseer and Mr Karl
Hiebl, for operating the experimental plant.

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