Horizontal flow reed beds

Horizontal flow reed beds are not seen as being as effective as vertical flow reed beds in treating high strength effluent. They do however work particularly well for low strength effluents, or effluents that have undergone some form of pre-treatment.

Whilst not effective in reducing ammonia they will almost always reduce BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and SS (Suspended Solids) levels. These systems can play an invaluable role in tertiary treatment of effluent. Whilst not as effective as vertical flow reed beds, if the effluent is of sufficiently low strength then these systems can be extremely useful and have been adopted as a ‘final stage’ of treatment by a number of industries.

A typical application would be to treat the discharge from a paper factory which has already gone through a treatment process but was unable to meet the discharge consent standard required. They can also be used to dispose of low level farm effluent. In this type of situation horizontal reedbed filtration systems can provide a comparatively low cost environmentally sound solution.

The A.G.A Group can install reedbeds for a number of purposes, not only to treat waste water but also to encourage wetland growth and biodiversity.

Call our expert advisors to arrange a site visit from one of our consultants to assess the optimum design to suit your individual purposes