Constructed wetland for treatment of wastewater from a dairy farm: cooperatva Fattoria della Piana Societa` Agricola

Description: Implemented nature-based solutions (NbS) as green infrastructure through CWs with horizontal subsurface flow (HF) for wastewater treatment (IRIDRA, 2021).

Country: Italy

City: Candinoni (RC)

City size: 26.9 km²

Population: 405 (municipality population 2017)

start: 2011

Timeframe: No Data

Phase: Completed

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : Yes

Initiator: Cooperative Fattoria della Piana Agricultural firm

Website source: http://iridra.eu/attachments/article/112/Fattoria%20della%20Piana.pdf

Latitude: 38.5191

Longitude: 15.9745

Co-benefits

Increased provisioning of ecosystem goods (e.g. Food, water, etc)

Yes, whey waste is converted into energy and the effluent of the CW system is discharged back into the Mammella torrent.

Biodiversity conservation or increased biodiversity

The CW may provide a new wildlife habitat and exploit the ecological benefits of the CWs apart from their function as a treatment facility (Knight, 1997; Stefanakis, 2019). The main characteristics of the CW (i.e., presence of water and vegetation) make it suitable for the creation of a new ecological habitat, by attracting wildlife species, especially birds, and establishing a green area (Stefanakis, 2019).

Increased quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructures

Yes

Sustainable urbanisation

As natural treatment technology, CWs can be categorised as sustainable systems, fulfilling sustainability criteria such as effective sanitation, contribution to public health and hygiene aspects, environmental protection and safeguarding of natural resources. (Stefanakis, 2015). The number of treated person equivalent is 1500 PE. (IRIDRA, 2021).

Improved aesthetic value

Yes

Education, knowledge exchange and learning

Yes, educational activities are also included among the farm's assets.

Original problems

Low provisioning of ecosystem goods (e.g. Water, food)

Yes

Drought and heat risk

Investigations of mutation in the compound occurrence of drought and heat conditions have identified many hotspots of compound drought and extreme heat conditions in Europe. These include, among others, France, Benelux countries, Italy and Balkan Peninsula. Trend detection has shown that these areas were characterized by a rising trend in the compound occurrence of drought and heat extremes. (Bezak, Mikos, 2020).

Low aesthetic value

Yes

SDGs

Food security (SDG2) Zero Hunger

Yes

Good health and well-being (SDG3)

Yes

Clean water and sanitation (SDG6)

Yes

Sustainable cities and communities (SDG11)

Yes

Climate action, resilience, mitigation and adaptation (SDG13)

Yes, the main characteristic of CWs is very low greenhouse gas emission (Stefanakis et al., 2014; Stefanakis, 2015).

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes

Reference: Bezak, N., Mikos, M. (2020). Changes in the Compound Drought and Extreme Heat Occurrence in the 1961–2018 Period at the European Scale. Water 2020, 12, 3543. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123543.

IRIDRA (2021). Nature-based solutions - Sustainable water management. Information obtained: 2021-02-16. Available at: http://www.iridra.eu/en/applicazioni-en/urbani-en.html.

Stefanakis, A. I., Akratos, C. S., & Tsihrintzis, V. A. (2014). Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands: Eco-engineering Systems for Wastewater and Sludge Treatment (1st ed.). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier Publishing. 378 pp. ISBN 978-0-12-404612-2. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283046086.

Stefanakis. A. I. (2015). Constructed Wetlands: Description and Benefits of an Eco-Tech Water Treatment System (Chapter 12). In Impact of Water Pollution on Human Health and Environmental Sustainability (Eds: E. McKeown, G. Bugyi ). 1st Edition. Publisher: IGI Global. Retrieved from: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/constructed-wetlands/140180

Stefanakis. A. I. (2019). The Role of Constructed Wetlands as Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Water Management. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6981. Tsihrintzis, V.A.; Hamid, R. (1997). Modelling and management of urban stormwater runoff quality: A review. Water Resour. Manag. 1997, 11, 137–164.