Passive treatment systems offer a low cost and low maintenance means of remediating water contaminated by a variety of industrial and domestic factors. Natural wetlands demonstrate an innate ability to remove contaminants derived from mining/industrial operations, agricultural systems, and domestic sewage. Passive treatment systems are an artificial construct that utilize these natural processes to maximize their effectiveness for increased removal efficiencies. These systems have been utilized globally, but are particularly successful in temperate regions where high rates of primary productivity and moderate winters prevail. Under such climates, the chemistry, biology, and hydrology of wetlands are well understood, resulting in constructed systems with high removal efficiencies that are effective for an array of contaminant regimes.
