A bit about reed beds to treat sewage

A recent 600 sq metre reed bed at Wiston House

Reed beds are a very effective and efficient way of treating sewage. This has lead to major package treatment plant manufacturers and companies who install package treatment systems seeing them as a threat with the consequences being a flurry of negative myths about reed beds about operation, maintenance, appearance and longevity.

Reed beds are very simple - bacteria grow on the shingle substrata, the reeds simply provide oxygen through their root network, and the food for the bacteria is provided in the sewage. Many myths involve bad smells, the need to dig them out once every few years, the quality of the final effluent being poor and maintenance being more than a package system.

Correctly sized and installed a reed bed requires no maintenance or clearance work. The reeds may need to be cut back once every 10 to 20 years to encourage continued new growth but that is all. They also produce an effluent far cleaner and superior to an electromechanical system.   

A typical domestic sized reed bed

I design and install bespoke reed beds, and all our beds are lined with a quality single piece rubber based liner rather than PVC, to ensure longevity. Correctly sized and installed, a reed bed should never need maintenance.


For further information, visit Severn Trent Water, who were one of the pioneers of reed beds at the start of the 80's. Alternatively you can contact me through our website at Moody Sewage