Name the treatment duty
Define whether the wetland is intended for polishing, a specific contaminant function, flow management or a combination of objectives. State upstream treatment assumptions and downstream quality requirements. A landscape description is not a performance specification.
Connect load, hydraulics and area
Review flow variability, contaminant loads, available land and hydraulic connectivity. Ask where water enters, how contact is maintained and where it exits under different conditions. Include the quality of the incoming stream rather than assuming that vegetation will resolve every upstream problem.
Include ecology and operation
Consider climate, water availability, media, vegetation establishment and maintenance access. Identify who will manage blockages, vegetation, sediment and abnormal inflows. Treatment and ecological objectives should be explicit enough to recognise conflicts as well as co-benefits.
Specify what demonstrates fit
Define indicators, monitoring locations and operating conditions before a pilot or demonstration. A suitability assessment should identify the intended function, limiting conditions and the comparison needed against engineered or hybrid alternatives.
Sources & context
Background reading checked 9 October 2026. The review questions and structures above are BGF editorial guidance; the references are not BGF project evidence or endorsements. Apply them to the relevant site, data and agreed scope.