Operation and maintenance for constructed wetlands.

Publisher Summary Operation and maintenance activities change during the lifetime of a constructed wetland. Ultimately, the wetlands become inefficient or redundant leading to the site being decommissioned or retrofitted. To extend the life of constructed wetlands, operation and maintenance must be planned. To facilitate this, an operation and maintenance plan should be developed. This plan must be specific to the wetland and easy to use. The plan should state what is to be done, when it is to be done, and how it is to be done. Monitoring must be undertaken to ensure that wetland objectives are being met, and to further define the type and level of maintenance required. Wetland operation and maintenance is more than just cleaning structures. Wetland operation and maintenance relies on attention to detail, and an understanding of the functions and processes within the system.