Describe the benefits obtained by the creation of artificial wetlands.

Artificial wetlands can do the same tasks as natural wetlands perform. First, using wetlands as filtering devices helps to cleanse wastewater and some types of agricultural runoff. Wastewater treatment engineers are now manipulating wetlands and even constructing wetlands to employ them to cleanse wastewater. At the same time, these wetland areas serve as havens for wildlife and areas for human recreation.

The artificial marshes can be constructed adjacent to a conventional sewage treatment plant, to filter contaminants from partially treated municipal wastewater, and also comprise a wetland oasis that provides habitat for birds and wildlife. Treated water is used to irrigate city parks, schoolyards, golf courses, and median strips. Water is channeled from the marshes into recharge basins, where it is allowed to infiltrate the soil. This can help to recharge the water table in an area where groundwater has been depleted by overpumping. The practice of treating wastewater with artificial wetlands is growing fast; today over 500 artificially constructed or restored wetlands in the United States are performing this service.