Constructed Wetland Systems as a Methodology for the Treatment of Wastewater in Bucaramanga Industrial Park

Abstract

Effluent discharges from municipal, industrial, and agricultural activities constitute major sources of pollution on land and water bodies. During the 1990s, large-scale application of Constructed Wet-lands (CWs) as a remediation option drew much attention globally from the public and green groups alike. The most common application of CWs is for flow management in river system and little is documented on using CWs for treating polluted river water. This article goes beyond constructed wetlands as a stand-alone methodology to propose an integrated remediation system incorporat-ing constructed wetlands in Bucaramanga Industrial Park S.A., Santander (Colombia), which will form part of an innovation park. In addition to pollution abatement, the project is projected to provide other environmental benefits to the entire Oro River Sub-basin. Other benefits of the project include mitigation of environmental impacts, improvement in water quality, landscape amenity, as well as tourism and recreational benefits.