# How Orlando’s 1,200-acre wetlands clean water with periodic ‘demucking’ 2026-08-09T18:41:00+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Since 1987, the City of Orlando has used 1,200 acres of constructed wetlands to treat reclaimed water, handling about 5.11 billion gallons annually. However, aquatic plants that absorb nutrients eventually die and decay, forming organic muck that can clog the system and release nutrients back into the water, according to operational records from the City of Orlando Water Reclamation Division. To counter this, the city carries out periodic 'demucking' projects. Crews drain sections of the marsh, scrape away about 18 inches of compacted sediment, and remove roughly 200,000 cubic yards of organic material per cycle. After replanting with nutrient-absorbing species like giant bulrush, the marsh resumes filtering reclaimed water. The first demucking began in August 2002, after 15 years of operation. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: constructed wetlands, demucking, infrastructure maintenance, Orlando wetlands, water treatment Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/how-orlandos-1200-acre-wetlands-clean-water-with-periodic-demucking/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/how-orlandos-1200-acre-wetlands-clean-water-with-periodic-demucking/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.