Treatment systems are engineered landscape features used to treat pollutants in surface and groundwater. They comprise various technologies including constructed treatment wetlands. Multiple treatment systems combine to form a treatment train.
This page focuses on systems to treat pollutants contained in rural run-off. If you have suggestions for additional technologies contact us via email.
For information on urban stormwater treatment and water sensitive urban design (WSUD) go to Healthy Waterways.
Treatment systems are engineered to provide one or a number of solutions to water management. Some examples of treatment systems include:
These systems can be effective in regulating the concentration of pollutants such as sediment, nutrients and pesticides in water.
Treatment systems can contribute to improved water quality at a catchment scale when widely adopted in on-farm management practices. When multiple treatment systems are combined they form a treatment train. Treatment trains range from paddock-scale to sub-catchment and catchment scale systems.
Treatment options should not be seen as a replacement for other farm management best practices. Instead, treatment systems should be used in combination with these.
Treatment systems in coastal catchments
The treatment systems resources provided here are a reflection of the presentations at the time of the Treatment Forum and are not Queensland Government policy. Neither the Queensland Government nor the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) accept liability for any decisions made or actions taken on the basis of this information. In particular, users are advised to refer to the current acts and regulations of the Queensland Parliament which EHP administers and current EHP policies and practices.
The summary report provides a summary of the speakers’ present ations, questions and answers from the Treatment Systems in Coastal Catchments Forum held on 8 July 2016.
The Forum provided an overview of innovative new approaches to treatment systems, including constructed wetlands, floating wetlands, bioreactors, algae treatment and other technologies, which have the potential to reduce nutrients and pesticides from diffuse rural sources in the coastal catchments of Queensland.
For more information on various treatment systems see the videos below.
Ryan Turner, Principal Scientist, Department of Science Information Technology Innovation
Phil Moody, Science Division, Department of Science, Information, Technology and Innovation
Dr. Tom Headley, Water and Carbon Group
Dr Peter Breen, E2DesignLab
Dr Mark Bayley, Australian Wetlands Consulting (AWC)
Andy Hornbuckle, SPEL Environmental and University of the Sunshine Coast
Prof Louis Schipper, University Waikato
Andrew Lawson, MBD Energy Limited
Malcolm Eadie, O2UDP
Paul Duncanson, NQ Dry Tropics
Dr Simon Tannock, AlgaEnviro
Susie Chapman, Healthy Waterways and Catchments
The Wetland Management Handbook is a useful resource, providing information and advice on planning, designing, constructing, managing and maintaining constructed wetlands.
Other States, Australia and international
Last updated: 30 October 2017
This page should be cited as:
Treatment systems, WetlandInfo 2017, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland, viewed 30 October 2017, .