Want to implement this?

To help others adapt this floating wetland design to any body of water, we can use a simple equation that calculates the recommended coverage area based on the total surface area of the waterbody.

Let:

• Aₜ = total surface area of the waterbody (m²)

• Aᵢ = total surface area of floating wetland islands (m²)

• C = coverage percentage (as a decimal), for optimal results we recommend 18% coverage

Then:
Aᵢ = Aₜ × C

Based on research and performance guidelines, C should generally fall between 0.05 and 0.25 (i.e. 5–25% of the waterbody surface). For example:

• Use C = 0.05 (5%) for minimum treatment effect

• Use C = 0.10–0.15 (10–15%) for moderate nutrient removal

• Use C = 0.25 (25%) for maximum treatment without risking oxygen depletion

• Never exceed C = 0.50 (50%), as this may reduce dissolved oxygen levels too much

To adapt this to the modular hexagonal design, divide Aᵢ by the area of one hexagonal unit (e.g. 52 m²) to determine how many modules are needed:

Let:

• Aₘ = area of one module (m²)

• N = number of modules

Then:
N = Aᵢ / Aₘ

This lets designers scale the system up or down based on their local waterbody size, while staying within safe and effective coverage thresholds.