Significance:

The use of constructed treatment wetlands, as a secondary treatment method for wastewater effluent from package treatment plants and distillery stillage has the potential to be an innovative, sustainable method for improving water quality. However, the use of constructed wetlands to treat bourbon whole stillage and wastewater treatment plant effluent has been limited.

Objective:

1) Quantify constructed wetland removal potential as a secondary treatment method for municipal wastewater

2) Optimize treatment design to meet wastewater effluent discharge limits

3) Explore the potential to utilize bourbon whole stillage in constructed wetlands as a nutrient removal enhancement.

Hypothesis:

Treatment wetlands have the potential to effectively remove nutrients and E. coli from treated wastewater effluent and treatment be enhanced by the addition of whole stillage.

Conclusions:

• Nitrate-N removal rates in wetlands were 50 to 99% depending on wetland influent.

• Nitrate-N removal rates in wetlands were assessed using distillery whole stillage and found to enhance removal.

Funded: UK-MGCAFE and Multistate Hatch Funds (W-4045)

Publication:

In Review

Graduate Student:
Katherine Ristola (MS)