ABSTRACT
The constructed wetlands (CW) offer effective and reliable treatment of wastewater in a simple and inexpensive way, requiring minimal maintenance. Water treatment plants with the application of different technologies exist in the country, but many of them present maintenance deficit, justified partly by the high costs. In Cuba, the pollution of the water, land, and atmosphere is due to different causes such as the concentration of industrial installations in urban zones; the uses of obsolete technologies; a low introduction level of cleaner production practices in industries and services. Future research into the elucidating structure and distribution of the related microbial communities and identifying the related microbes which assist in removal processes will further help to optimize the treatment performance of CW systems. However, experience with the use of Wastewater treatment systems is still limited within the island despite the benefits, but an asset is that most of the existing treatment plants are in a highly degraded state.
