A Surface Flow Constructed Wetland As A Measure To Maintain The Natural Habitat Of A Reserve And A Way To Reuse Wastewaters

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 wh