Wetland Roofs As an Attractive Option for Decentralized Water Management and Air Conditioning Enhancement in Growing Cities—A Review

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Wetland Roofs As an Attractive Option for Decentralized Water Management and Air Conditioning Enhancement in Growing Cities—A Review water Review Wetland Roofs as an Attractive Option for Decentralized Water Management and Air Conditioning Enhancement in Growing Cities—A Review Andreas Zehnsdorf 1,*, Keani C. U. Willebrand 1, Ralf Trabitzsch 2, Sarah Knechtel 2, Michael Blumberg 3 and Roland A. Müller 1 1 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstraße 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany 2 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Department of Environmental Informatics, Permoserstraße 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany 3 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg, Gänsemarkt 10, 37120 Bovenden, Germany * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +49-341-235-1850 Received: 8 July 2019; Accepted: 2 September 2019; Published: 5 September 2019 Abstract: While constructed wetlands have become established for the decentralized treatment of wastewater and rainwater, wetland roofs have only been built in isolated cases up to now. The historical development of wetland roofs is described here on the basis of a survey of literature and patents, and the increasing interest in this ecotechnology around the world is presented. In particular, this article describes the potential for using wetland roofs and examines experience with applications in decentralized water management in urban environments and for climate regulation in buildings. Wetland roofs are suitable as a green-blue technology for the future—particularly in cities with an acute shortage of unoccupied ground-level sites—for the decentralized treatment of wastewater streams of various origins. Positive “side effects” such as nearly complete stormwater retention and the improvement of climates in buildings and their surroundings, coupled with an increase in biodiversity, make wetland roofs an ideal multi-functional technology for urban areas. Keywords: (irrigated) wetland roof; wetroof; decentralized water management; water treatment; natural air conditioning; greywater recycling; wet green roof 1. Introduction Increasing numbers of people around the world now live in cities. Just 30% of the global population lived in cities in 1950, but this figure had risen to 55% by 2018 and is predicted to reach almost 70% by 2050 [1], (see Figure1). This trend is placing increasing demands on infrastructure for the supply of water and energy and on the hygienic removal and treatment of wastewater. In many cities that have developed over a long period of time, wastewater is collected in sewer systems and routed to wastewater treatment plants. However, increasingly long periods with little rainfall in temperate climate zones are creating as many problems (sedimentation in sewers) as heavy precipitation within short periods of time (overflowing of sewers). As heavy precipitation can potentially cause serious damage in urban areas, possible methods of predicting such events and of retaining water are being sought worldwide [2–4]. The idea of decentralized treatment of different wastes and water streams (greywater, rainwater) at the location, where they arise, was proposed for discussion a number of years ago [5]. Constructed wetlands have become established as a robust, close-to-nature ecotechnology for decentralized treatment of water streams of various quality levels, from rainwater to municipal Water 2019, 11, 1845; doi:10.3390/w11091845 www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 16 Water 2019, 11, 1845 2 of 16 close-to-nature ecotechnology for decentralized treatment of water streams of various quality levels, wastewatersfrom rainwater [6,7]. to In subtropicalmunicipal wastewaters zones, constructed [6,7]. In wetlands subtropical are already zones, beingconstructed used for wetlands rainwater are retentionalready andbeing treatment used for onrainwater a large scaleretention [8]. and However, treatment land-use on a large conflicts scale often [8]. occurHowever, in growing land-use cities,conflicts where often ground-level occur in sitesgrowing are incities, strong where demand ground-level and are therefore sites are expensive. in strong Andemand increasingly and are attractivetherefore method expensive. for harnessing An increasingly the advantages attractive of me constructedthod for harnessing wetlands withoutthe advantages causing of competition constructed forwetlands ground-level without sites causing is offered competition by “wetland for roofs”ground-level that are sites planted is offered on the by roofs “wetland of suitable roofs” buildings that are inplanted order to on retain the roofs and treat of suitable water, wherebuildings it arises. in order to retain and treat water, where it arises. WetlandWetland roofs roofs are are constructed constructed onon availableavailable roofroof surfaces, therefore therefore it it ca cann be be assumed assumed that that the thearea area used used does does not not compete compete with with other other uses uses,, which which may may be bethe the case case at atground ground level level [9]. [9The]. Thefollowing following discussion discussion will will present present the the current current status status of applications of applications and and research research in this in this specific specific area areaof roof of roof greening. greening. FigureFigure 1. 1.Development Development of of the the global global population population in in cities cities [1 ].[1]. 2.2. Methods Methods AA literature literature search search was was carried carried out inout all in databases all databases of the Webof the of Web Science of (WoS)Science and (WoS) Google and Scholar Google forScholar the topics for of the “wetland topics roof”of “wetland and “wetroof” roof” onand 6 June“wetroof” 2019. Alongside on 6 June the 2019. twelve Alongside publications the found, twelve therepublications were also found, articles—already there were known also articles—already to us, and mainly known in German—from to us, and mainly the course in German—from of development the ofcourse wetland of roofs,development contributions of wetland to books, roofs, students’ contributi thesesons to andbooks, contributions students’ theses to the and proceedings contributions of academicto the proceedings conferences. of The academic German-language conferences. articles The wereGerman-language particularly significant articles were in this particularly context, assignificant the first wetland in this roofcontext, was as built thein first Germany wetland back roof in was 1991, built while in Germany interest in back this in technology 1991, while has interest only begunin this to emergetechnology internationally has only begun in recent to times.emerge In intern additionationally to this in literature recent times. search, In we addition carried outto this a patentliterature search search, using we “Orbit carried Intelligence—Questel” out a patent search using on 19 “Orbit February Intelligence—Questel” 2019 and also considered on 19 patentsFebruary that2019 were and already also considered known to patents us (Table that1). were already known to us (Table 1). Water 2019, 11, 1845 3 of 16 Table 1. Patents on wetland roofs (search with “Orbit Intelligence—Questel”, date 19 February 2019). Patent Number Title Applicant Priority Date Status Roof wetland structure applicable to Univ. of Electronic Science and Technology In examination. CN108640290 (A) 20 July 2018 southern China of China, Zhongshan Institute Publication date 12 October 2018 US2017113956 (A1); Wetland roof technology for treating Granting USA Bui Thanh Xuan (VN); Ton Duc Thang Univ. 21 October 2015 US9884780 (B2) domestic wastewater 06 February 2019 In examination. CZ20150423 (A3) A roof wetland purifier Liko-S A S (CZ) 13 June 2015 Publication date 25 January 2017 CN204588825 (U) Constructed wetland device for roof Duan Lipeng 26 March 2015 Publication date 11 March 2015 Roof landscape wetland device capable Publication date CN204198545 (U) Li Yingjun 25 July 2014 of purifying and recycling sewage 11 August 2015 Publication date CN202391027 (U) Roof wetland system Dehua Ecological Technology Company LTD 24 November 2011 22 August 2012 Granted Plant-based sewage treatment system for US2008245714 (A1) Deere & Company 7 May 2004 EP 14 January 2015 Patent purifying wastewater March 2015 US 13 July 2010 Green roof water recycling Granted GB2375761 (A)(B) Christopher Jon Shirley-Smith 7 April 2001 system—GROW 23 June 2004 Dachbegrünung und Verfahren zur Granted 7 March 2002 Expired DE19630830 C2 Herstellung (Roof greening and Heinrich Dernbach, Mühlheim 31 July 1996 August 2016 installation procedures) Water 2019, 11, 1845 4 of 16 3. Results and Discussion The publications and patents that were identified were sorted here based on the purpose that the described roof greening with wetland plants was intended to serve. The physical construction and design of wetland roofs was identified as an essential component in realizing the two focal areas that emerged: water treatment and climate regulation for buildings. The construction and applications of wetland roofs are summarized in the following sections. 3.1. Construction of Wetland Roofs Several publications have outlined design considerations for wastewater treatment and passive air conditioning applications of wetland roofs and these are discussed in the following sections. Examples of materials used in literature are provided in Table2. Table 2. Examples of wetland roof component materials from literature. Component Purpose Implementations Reference(s) Ethylene propylene diene Non-permeable Protect the roof structure from excess [10] monomer liner root
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