Abstract
$NO^3$-N removal was examined from July 2002 to December 2002 of a surface-flow constructed treatment wetland cell, which was a part of a treatment wetland system composed of four wetland cells and one distribution pond. The system was established on rice paddy near the Kohung Estuarine Lake located at the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The lake and the paddy were formed by a salt marsh reclamation project. Effluent from a secondary-level treatment plant was funneled into the system. The investigated cell was created in June 2002. Its dimensions were 87 m in length and 14 m in width. It had an open water zone at its center, which was equivalent to 10 percent of its total area. Reeds(Phragmites australis) were transplanted from natural wetlands into the cell and their stems were cut at about 40 cm height from their bottom ends. Average 25 $m^3$/day of effluent from the plant was funneled into the cell by gravity flow and average 24.2$m^3$/day of its treated effluent was discharged into the Sinyang Stream flowing into the lake. Its water depth was maintained about 0.2 m and its hydraulic detention time averaged 5.2 days. The average height of the reed stems was 45.2 cm in July 2002 and 80.5 cm in September 2002. The number of stems averaged 40.3 stems/$m^2$ in July 2002 and 74.5 stems/$m^2$ in September 2002. The reeds were established initially well. $NO_3$-N loading rate of influent and effluent averaged 173.7 and $93.5mg/m2{\cdot}day$, respectively. Removal of $NO_3$-N averaged $80.2mg/m2{\cdot}day$ and its removal rate by mass was about 50 %. Considering the initial operation of the cell and the inclusion of the cold months of November and December in the analysis period, the $NO_3$-N removal rate was good.