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Inspired by the functioning of natural wetlands and their actions on water (hydraulic regulation, mechanical filtration, biodiversity, sedimentation, etc.), the Dragonfly® Wetland is a vegetated discharge zone made up of a series of compartments (basins) located at the outlet of a wastewater treatment plant, or a rainwater network, and in which water circulates. Each basin is home to local plants and microorganisms selected for their ability to absorb certain pollutants. The diversity of wetlands, with variations in depth and flow velocity, makes it possible to optimise treatment, thus significantly improving the chemical and bacteriological quality of the water. These areas also provide habitat for fauna and flora dependent on the wetlands.
Based on the self-purifying capacity of wetland and aquatic ecosystems, the Dragonfly® Wetland plays an essential role in the fight against micropollutants and their diffusion in receiving environments.
The Dragonfly® Wetland makes it possible to refine the quality of treated wastewater through a complementary treatment, phytoremediation (or "water purification by plants"), before it is returned to the natural environment. By reducing the impact of wastewater treatment plant discharges, it contributes to the preservation of aquatic environments.
One of the fundamental principles of this approach is to create a "buffer zone", which preserves the quality of the receiving aquatic environments. The results obtained in terms of purification are significant: retention of suspended solids, improvement of physicochemical parameters (temperature, oxygen, etc.), reduction of pathogenic bacteria and reduction of micropollutants.
The Dragonfly® Wetland is an adaptable solution, depending on your context and your local environment. It is custom-designed and can be deployed on sites and facilities of different sizes. The development of the
the Dragonfly® Wetland or Vegetated Discharge Zone takes place in several stages.
SCIP is China's first specialised chemical park.
In 2017, we won the contract to restore the park's Vegetated Discharge Zone (ZRV), thanks to the lessons learned from our ZHART (ARTificial Wetlands) research project piloted between 2012 and 2016 by our main centre of research and excellence, the CIRSEE. The restoration project covers an area of more than 50 hectares, including 16 ha for Phase I (completed in 2024) and 36 ha for Phase II.
We have adapted our Dragonfly® Wetland solution to the tertiary treatment of industrial wastewater, a first in China. The wetland, populated by halo tolerant coastal plants, plays a role as a natural purifier to treat the saline water generated by the SCIP wastewater treatment plant. This is our largest wetland project.
To purify wastewater, phytoremediation relies on the action of macrophyte plants, and more specifically on the bacteria that proliferate at the level of their roots and rhizomes.
Plant sanitation involves three key elements, which work in symbiosis:
The most common purifying plants are bamboo, reeds, cattails and sedges. The choice of species depends on several criteria: their purifying capacity, their resistance to pollution, the structure of their roots and foliage, their interaction with microorganisms in the rhizosphere, as well as their contribution to local biodiversity. It also takes into account rigorously selected species, which can serve as biological indicators and promote hydraulic flows, thus reducing the risk of clogging the substrate.
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