Quantification and Scaling of Infiltration and Percolation from a Constructed Wetland

Abstract

Efforts to prevent temperature increases in streams and rivers have led to regulation of the maximum permissible temperature for wastewater discharges. Hyporheic discharge treatment, where warm wastewater is allowed to infiltrate into the soil and percolate toward the stream, has been proposed as an alternative management practice, potentially providing increased streamflow at decreased temperature. To assess the feasibility of such a system, a pilot study was performed in which groundwater level, temperature, and chemistry were monitored to characterize percolation from a 0.15-ha infiltration wetland. The temperature patterns suggested that water seepage rates exceeded