Assessing the Potential Resistance of Floating Vegetation Against Different Flow Rates

Year 2022, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 275 - 298, 25.07.2022

Bayram Akyol , Xuanhua Duan , Nebi Yeşilekin

https://doi.org/10.31807/tjwsm.1112852

Abstract

Constructed Floating Wetlands have been rising an innovative and environmentally friendly water treatment technology for both stormwater and wastewater over the decades. For the sustainability of these systems, hydraulic components of wetlands should be carefully monitored and properly managed. With this study, the root resistance of Baumea rubiginosa and Phragmites australis grown in the drinking water and a synthetic water mix representing stormwater and domestic wastewater with low and high nutrient content against different flow rates was examined. With the nutrient uptakes from intermediate bulk container water tanks, two plant species had reached at harvest stage over the period of 35 weeks, and then they were subjected to flume test experiment. Two plant species from five different water types showed different growth levels in roots and shoots, and thanks to their stronger and denser root structures, plant species of Baumea rubiginosa and Phragmites australis in domestic wastewater with low nutrient were found more resistant to the flow by pushing water deeper and cause a higher hydraulic head loss between upstream and downstream in comparison to the rest of plant types. The relationships between three different components: Root volume, flow rate and
head loss were also analysed through correlation test in SPSS Statistics and the relationship between root volume and head loss was found positive at the higher flow rate(s). The results demonstrate that these native plant species in constructed floating wetlands could be used to reduce extreme flow rates in upstream side and provide a safe environment during extreme flood events.

Keywords

constructed floating wetlands, stormwater, domestic wastewater, root resistance, floating vegetation

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