Wastewater Treatment That Grows
Constructed wetlands treat sewage the way a living marsh does — through gravel, reeds and billions of microbes — with almost no power and very little maintenance. MAKES designed Pakistan’s first such system and has refined the craft ever since.
A Marsh, Engineered for a Job
A constructed wetland is a shallow, lined basin filled with gravel and planted with hardy wetland species such as reeds and bulrushes. As wastewater seeps through the root zone, a dense community of bacteria breaks down the organic load while the plants take up nutrients. The result is a self-sustaining treatment system that needs no chemicals and, in gravity-fed layouts, no electricity at all. It is one of the most practical nature based solutions for communities that conventional sewerage has never reached.
From Sewage to Clear Water in Three Stages
Pre-treatment
Solids settle out in a simple tank or screen so the wetland receives a steady, debris-free flow.
The living filter
Water moves slowly through gravel and the roots of reeds. Bacteria on every surface consume the organic load.
Polishing & reuse
The clarified water emerges low in pathogens and nutrients — ready for irrigation, ponds or safe discharge.
Choosing the Right Flow Path
The way water travels through the bed defines the system. We select — or combine — these based on your land, load and target quality.
Vertical-Flow Wetlands
Water is dosed onto the surface and trickles down through layered media, drawing oxygen in. Compact and strong on ammonia removal — ideal where land is tight.
Horizontal-Flow Wetlands
Water travels sideways below the gravel surface from inlet to outlet. Robust, odour-free and excellent for organic load — the workhorse of rural and peri-urban sites.
Hybrid Systems
Vertical and horizontal beds in series capture the strengths of both, hitting tighter discharge limits for sensitive receiving waters.
Performance You Can Plan Around
Tested in Pakistani Conditions
From the country’s first wetland at village Majeed Keerio to systems serving the Pakistan Navy, our beds are built for real heat, real loads and real budgets. Constructed wetlands sit at the heart of our wastewater treatment work and feed directly into wider ecosystem restoration goals.
Could a Wetland Work for Your Site?
Send us your flow rate and a site sketch — we’ll tell you honestly whether a constructed wetland is the right fit.