Specialist Group on Use of Macrophytes in Water Pollution ... - IWA

The Proposers
The Environmental Technology Centre (ETC) at Murdoch
University is the lead organiser behind this proposal.
Background and purpose
The use of constructed wetlands in water pollution control has been
a matter of considerable interest and research from the early eighties.
While most of the work has focused on the use of wetlands as
polishing systems and on removal of nutrients, metals and pathogens,
research has also revealed their application for primary wastewater
treatment (“French systems”) and sludge stabilisation.
Reuse of wastewater and stormwater for non-potable purposes
has become necessary due to increasing demand on high quality
water. Wetlands have proven to reliably achieve efficient treatment
processes, satisfying non potable reuse requirements. This is of extreme
importance in the Australian context, where most of the water is used
in agriculture. Besides, population pressure and declining rainfall
patterns in some areas have led to depreciation of natural wetlands
and groundwater dependent ecosystems.
Treatment wetlands are now a well established technology. There are
several thousand wetland systems treating municipal, agricultural
and industrial wastewaters in North America and Europe and a
rising number of systems treating point source and non-point source
pollution globally. These wetland systems have a wide variety of
engineering designs, wetted areas, flow rates, influent and effluent
quality, hydraulic properties and monitoring requirements. The
information from this operational treatment experience can be used
to form design guidelines for wetland systems. Research is necessary
in areas of system longevity, pollutant removal process dynamics and
system modelling.
The major aim of the Conference is to bring together researchers and
professionals to discuss new developments and exchange experiences
in the field of constructed wetland systems. The Conference will
highlight the latest improvements and achievements in the treatment
of urban storm water runoff, domestic and municipal wastewaters,
agricultural and industrial effluents.
The success of several IWA Conferences organised by the ETC
demonstrates our capacity to organise the 13th International
Conference on Wetlands Systems for Water Pollution Control. We have
long been encouraging and disseminating research on treatment
wetlands. Murdoch organised an International Workshop on Wetland
Systems for Wastewater Treatment in 1996. We have published papers
in the field of Constructed Wetlands, Decentralised Systems and
Environmental Technologies.
Conference date
Considering the date of previous conferences in the series, and in the
hope of ensuring that participants have a pleasant stay, we have chosen
the week from 25-29 November 2012. This period is a non-teaching
time at the University and all the facilities of the University will be
available. Weather-wise November is an excellent period to organise a
conference, as the weather is generally consistently warm and pleasant.
Conference venue
The Conference will take place at Murdoch University. There are
modern lecture theatres available at the University. The Environmental
Technology Centre will display sustainable technologies at their location
on the University campus. The participants of the conference will have
the privilege to visit the centre.
Conference language
The official language of the conference will be English. There will
be oral and poster presentations, with pre-printed abstracts of
conference papers.
Technical Tours
A technical tour is proposed for the Tuesday 27 November 2012. The
tour is an integral part of the conference. The tour will include the
following wetlands systems: CSBP Ltd. Kwinana – Industrial effluent;
Point Fraser (CBD) – Stormwater treatment, Wharf + Liege street
(Cannington) – Stormwater treatment; Peppermint Grove Library
– Stormwater (rainwater use, urine separation) and other wetland
facilities in Perth.
An additional pre/post conference tour highlighting natural and
constructed wetland systems in the scenic Margaret River Region in
South Western WA is also being proposed.