干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The area under our investigation, called "Simeto's Oasis", is located on the east coast of Sicily where the river Simeto (the main Sicilian river) ends. This area was established as a reserve in 1984 and includes the remaining wet zones around the Simeto's river mouth that represents only a little portion of the much wider wetland existing before human action occurred (in the fifties). In the early past the area was used to discharge the urban wastewater during summertime with a high impact due to the nutrients carried. At present, since the building of the wastewater treatment plant, the treated wastewater is discharged through the watershed Jungetto into the reserve area which ends in the sea. In the future the plan is to deviate the effluent flow through another channel directly into the sea; all these changes could impact, in our opinion both the natural habitats and the bio-diversity. Our proposal is to build a superficial flow constructed wetlands, into the pre-reserve area, as a tertiary treatment for wastewaters. Constructed wetlands are frequently chosen as the best solution for wastewater treatment because they are often less expensive to build and have lower operation and maintenance costs than other treatment technologies. They can also provide excellent wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and an aesthetically pleasing treatment facility. Treated effluent from constructed wetlands is often discharged to the ground. In the present work we try to find opportunities to reuse the water for irrigation of orchards, golf courses, decorative landscapes, wildlife habitats, riparian trees etc..