Reed Bed Systems

Reed Bed Sewage Treatment Systems

The treatment of various types of pollution in water has been carried out naturally for a considerable number of years by differing types of plant life. Over the past 30 years these natural systems have been successfully harnessed to treat sewage and many other pollutants in wastewater.

How does it work?

The principle of the treatment of sewage by Reed Beds is relatively simple:

The Common Reed has the ability to transfer oxygen from its leaves, down through its stem and out via its root system. As a result of this action, a very high population of micro-organism occurs in the root system, with zones of aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic conditions. Therefore with the wastewater moving very slowly and carefully through the mass of reed roots, the liquid can be successfully treated in a manner somewhat similar to conventional biological filter bed systems of sewage treatment.

Pumping Station Reed Bed Sewage Treatment Systems can be used to treat a variety of pollution loadings, but great care must always be exercised in their design and implementation. These systems offer an effective form of treatment and, in future years, reduce maintenance costs.

The larger Water Companies have now all successfully installed Reed Bed Sewage Treatment systems, and in particular Severn Trent Water have utilised these systems at well over 130 sites. Obviously certain criteria need to be met in order for a reed bed system to be successfully installed, not least of which would be the amount of space required for a reed bed sized up for the relevant application.

SPE can undertake a site visit and advise / specify / install accordingly.