Constructed wetland efficiency peaks at 6 years, then declines rapidly.
The study looked at how well a constructed wetland in Poland treated wastewater over 12 years. They found that the wetland became most effective at removing pollutants in its 6th year of operation and stayed that way until the 10th year. After that, its efficiency gradually decreased. By the 12th year, the wetland had a problem with clogging, which affected its ability to treat wastewater.