Constructed Wetlands
in
Developing Nations
Sustainable Systems as Solutions
Ian Markiewicz
Ecology 474
1
Global Sanitation
A Key Concern
2
Sanitation in Developing
Nations is a Problem

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1 billion people lack access to safe
drinking water
1/3 to 2/3 of the global population
currently lives in unsanitary
conditions
Populations continue to grow;
so,despite progress, we are no
better off than we were in 1980!
3
Consequences


3.2 million people die each year
from drinking contaminated water
Malaria, cholera, and other
sanitation related diseases are
running rampant

1,340,000 cases of cholera,
leading to 11,300 deaths, emerged
in Latin America alone between
1991 and 1995
4
Geographic Spread of Cholera in the Americas
1991-1995
5
Improper Waste Disposal
Is a Central Concern

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More People = More Waste
Improper Disposal = Increased
Disease
Less than 5% of all wastewater
collected in Central and South
America receives treatment
Similar statistics (ranging between
5% and 10%) are found throughout
the rest of the developing world
6
Clearly,
Something Must Be Done!
7
Solution:
Constructed Wetlands
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Constructed Wetlands have been
used to treat wastewater since the
1970’s
Unfortunately, the majority of
projects have been limited to
industrialized, developed nations
Several similar projects in
developing nations have failed
WHY?
8
Sustainability !!!

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Sustainability refers to the long
term and continuing viability of a
specific project
Long term longevity is dependant
upon sustainable systems
True solutions can’t be temporary!
Systems that have failed have
lacked sustainability
9
Community Is Key

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Constructed wetlands require local
dedication, support and cooperation
Eventually, the community will
assume project ownership
Ultimately, benefits must be enough
for the community to want to keep
the project intact

For this to happen, community must
be compensated
10
Economic Importance

Unfortunately, health concerns and
sanitation are not always the #1
priority

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heath benefits can be subtle
Sustainability of systems in
developing nations is dependent
upon economic factors
A more tangible return is often
necessary
11
Advantages of
Constructed
Wetlands
…In developing Nations
12
1) Cheaper than
Traditional Counterparts

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Local labor and materials are used
for construction
No need to import expensive
equipment
Reduced maintenance and
operation costs on completed
systems
13
2) Community Interaction

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Local resources are used during
project construction
Variability of constructed wetlands
allows for community feedback
Overall, increased dependency
upon the local community
throughout construction process
This is the 1st step
towards sustainability!
14
3) Prolonged Compensation
via potential “products”

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Constructed wetlands are capable of
using the treatment medium itself to
produce revenue
Agriculture, construction materials,
creative implementations
Habitat creation potential


Ecotourism
Goal is to spur economy at a local level
This is the 2nd step
towards sustainability
15
Case Study
Naco Constructed Wetlands:
Sustainability in Action
16
History

1996 Naco, Sonora suffered from
inadequate wastewater treatment
facilities
Only capable of handling %41 of
the towns inflow
 Frequent overflow and spilling of
untreated sewage into Naco,
Sonora, and Naco, Arizona


New solutions to the problem were
in order
17
Short-term Solution

Updated mechanical wastewater
system
New pumps
 Expansion of existing settling
ponds

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Total Cost = $830,000

Project fully covered through
grants from U.S. and Mexican
governments and organizations
18
Long-Term Solution

Implementation of constructed
wetlands for wastewater treatment

Initially, pilot test cells would be
installed to measure:
 Efficiency
 Economic
feasibility
 Geographic practicality
 Prolonged sustainability

If successful, the project would be
expanded
19
Focus on Sustainability

Constructed wetlands would be
designed to serve several
purposes, focusing on economy:

Vegetation would do more than
treat wastewater (brief list)
 Mesquite-construction,
heating
 Bamboo-construction
 Gourds-food/water
storage,
revenue through crafts market
 Ornamental flowers-apiculture
20
Progress

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In 1997, the Naco Constructed
Wetlands received an $76,459 to
expand the project
In 2000, Constructed Wetland
treatment facility supported 5% of
the communities wastewater
Today: expansion continues

While progress may be slow, its
being done carefully to ensure
success
21
Naco as a Model

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The Naco facility encourages viewing
effluent as a resource, not a problem
The project has succeeded thus far due to:
 Careful planning tailored to the unique
situation
 Proactive community involvement


Emphasis on community desires,
concerns, and benefits throughout the
project
Creative solutions
22
Final Thoughts
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The Naco facility is destined to serve
as a model for effluent treatment
throughout the developing world
Sustainability can never be
guaranteed, but odds in favor of
prolonged existence can be increased
Constructed wetlands cannot solve the
world’s sanitation problems, but they
are a step in the right direction
23
References
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1. World Health Organization Reports on Water and Sanitation.
World Health Organization, 22 Mar. 2001.
<http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/global/hiv/01032201.htm>.
2. “Action, Not Words: Safe Water and Sanitation for the
Developing World.” World Summit for Sustainable Development,
National Resource Defense Council, 28 Aug. 2002.
<http://www.nrdc.org/international/summit3.asp>.
3. Wallace, Scott D. “Putting Wetlands to Work.” Civil Engineering,
July 1998 68.7: 57-59.
4. Napalkov, Nikolai P. “Water for All: A Human Right.” World
Health, July-August 1992: 3.
5. Idelovitch, Emanuel, Klas Ringskog. Water Treatment in Latin
America: Old and New Options. The International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, Aug. 1997.
6. Ward, Robert M., Wen Liang. “Shanghai Water Supply and
Wastewater Disposal.” The Geographical Review, April 1995: 14156.
7. Etnier, Carl, Bjorn Guterstam. Ecological Engineering for
Wastewater Treatment. London: CRC/Lewis Publishers, 1997.
8. Vymazal, J. Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment in
Europe. Leiden: Backhuys, 1998.
9. Robbins, Dave. ECI Environmental Compliance International,
Ltd. President. Personal Interview. 17 Oct. 2002.
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References Continued
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10. Heskett, Julia, Wayne Bartholomew. “Constructed Wetlands for
Community Wastewater Treatment and Wildlife Habitat in Texas.”
Nature and the Environment. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Fall 2001.
11. Hornsby Bend. June 2002. University of Texas.
<http://cluster4.biosci.utexas.edu/ hornsby/>.
12. Water Supply, Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project for the
City of Naco, Sonora. Border Environment Cooperation Commission.
15 March 1996.
13. Ellman, Eric, Dave Robbins. “Merging Sustainable Development
with Wastewater Infrastructure Improvement on the U.S.-Mexico
Border.” Journal of Environmental Health, 60.7 (Mar. 1998): 8-13.
14. Varady, Robert G., et al. “The U.S-Mexican Border Environment
Cooperation Commission: Collected Perspectives on the First Two
Years.” Journal of Borderland Studies 11.2 (1996).
15. Simpson, B. Mesquite: Its Biology in Two Desert Systems.
Hutchinson and Ross, 1977.
16. Wilson, Michael. Plants for Microenterprise at Naco. Drylands
Institute, 1997. <http://www.drylandsinstitute.org/naco2.htm>.
17. Burgett, B.M. “Anti-Bacterial Systems in Honey, Nectar, and
Pollen.” Honeybee Pests, Predators, and Diseases 2nd ed., Ithaca,
N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1990.
18. “Dialogue Participants Tour Naco, Sonora, Wetlands.” Dialogue
San Pedro, May 2000.
19. Costanza, Robert, et al. Institutions, Ecosystems, and
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Sustainability. London: CRC/Lewis Publishers, 2001.