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The following manual provides a review of considerations and steps required for the design, construction and operation of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in rural applications (i.e. livestock operations, food processing, septic waste treatment, etc.). The information provided herein is to be used by practitioners (i.e. professionals with a working knowledge of geotechnical engineering, hydrology, hydrogeology and wastewater treatment) to provide them with enough detailed information to determine if this application is applicable to their needs and if so, to help them develop, implement and operate a constructed wetland treatment system. The guidelines outlined herein provide a standard system approach for a simple low cost, low maintenance solution. The constructed wetlands discussed in this manual are therefore limited to simple systems such as those found in nature, and do not consider more complex designs such as sub-surface systems and complex mechanical devices. The design examples used in this manual are therefore based on the simpler loading rates methods. This manual can be used by technical staff in provincial agencies, consulting firms, construction companies as well as potential operators and owners of constructed wetland systems. Canadapt Program of the Agricultural Adaptation Council, Ontario