A horizontal flow wetland (HF) integrated in a cascading vertical set-up (vertECO) was tested for decentralised treatment of low load greywater in a Mediterranean tourist facility over 22 months, evaluating 15 plant species and three hydraulic retention times (HRTs: 1.9, 1.4 and 1.0 days) with additional aeration improving the degradation process. Standard pollutant removal efficiencies exceeded 90% for COD, BOD5, TSS, and turbidity, with total organic carbon removal above 80%, and showed correlations between BOD5 removal and temperature, and optimal nitrogen removal at the lowest HRT. Effluent consistently met Spanish and EU water reuse standards across all HRTs. Organic micropollutant removal exceeded 95% for most compounds, including pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors, but was below 30% for hydrochlorothiazide, sulfamethoxazole, and salbutamol. Significant HRT-dependent removal differences were observed for select micropollutants; temperature had minimal effect on overall micropollutant removal.
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