Domestic sewage poses significant health risks to human and ecosystem, particularly in tropical island with limited infrastructure. Constructed wetland systems (CWS), as nature-based solutions (NBS), offer cost-effective, energy-efficient, and ecologically sustainable alternatives for decentralised sewage treatment. This study evaluated a pilot-scale free water surface Multi-Pond Constructed Wetlands System (MPCWS), comprising five sequential ponds: sedimentation pond (SP), oil screening pond (OSP), nutrient removal pond (NRP), treatment pond (TrP), and open water pond (OWP). Four ponds (OSP, NRP, TrP, OWP) were planted with 21 native tropical wetland species. Treatment performance was assessed for organic load (BOD₅, COD), solids (TSS), nutrients (AN, TN, TP), oil and grease (O&G), and microbial contamination (Escherichia coli). System performance was benchmarked against a non-vegetated control pond and individual septic tanks (ISTs) to quantify the contribution of vegetation. Results demonstrated that SP and OSP efficiently removed TSS and O&G, while NRP, TrP, and OWP contributed to further reductions in BOD₅, COD, and nutrients. Quantitative comparison with the control indicated vegetation consistently improved removal efficiencies by more than 10% across all parameters, with statistically significant gains in TP, BOD₅, COD, and TSS. MPCWS achieved comparable or superior performance to ISTs, particularly in AN removal, highlighting the role of plant–microbe interactions and extended hydraulic pathways. These findings confirm that MPCWS with tropical macrophytes can serve as a viable, low-energy, and sustainable approach for decentralised sewage treatment in small communities and tourism islands. Beyond pollutant removal, the system offers additional benefits including nutrient recovery potential, ecological enhancement, and landscape integration.
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