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The quality of surface water in watercourses in the region of Lublin agglomeration was studied in 2012–2014. Biological and chemical indicators of the study for various sampling sites were detected and the resulting values of the indicators were processed statistically. Rivers characterized by small size and the flow and modification of the riverbed. The resulting low values of macrophyte river index and infusorial index pointed to a poor quality of surface waters. Chemical indicators of the quality of surface waters reached low values, only BOD and phosphates reached high values. The river is located outside the city and it is characterized by moderate potential ecological (III quality class), and the river within Lublin is insufficiently potential ecological (IV quality class). Statistical analysis showed high variability index values between the studied positions.

The paper presents the results of research on the effects of removing pollution from domestic wastewater in two beds of constructed wetland systems with vertical flow. Bed I was planted with common reed (Phragmites australis Cav. Trin. Ex Steud.), whereas bed II with Glyceria maxima (Glyceria aquatica L.). The surface of each of the beds amounted to 30 m2, and the hydraulic load of each of them amounted to 0.033 m3·m-2·d-1. The study showed very good results in the removal of most of the analyzed indicators of contamination, which were similar in both analyzed beds. They were, respectively: 91 and 93% – for total suspended solids, 96 and 98% – for BOD5, 96 and 94% – for CODCr, 88 and 86% – for ammonia nitrogen and 87 and 88% – for total phosphorus. Much smaller effects were reported with regard to total nitrogen removal – 55% in bed I with common reed and 54% in bed II with Glyceria maxima. The tested beds also eliminated the number of coliform bacteria and faecal coliform bacteria quite effectively. Average effects of the removal of coliform bacteria in bed I and II were 99.74%, in the case of faecal coliform 98.06% and 97.94% respectively. Values of basic indicators of contamination (total suspended solids, BOD5 and CODCr) in the wastewater discharged from the analyzed beds met the requirements of the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 2014. The test results obtained in the first year of operation of the analyzed beds show that neither of the applied plants significantly improves the results of contaminant removal.