Constructed wetland systems provide high quality water treatment at relatively low cost. The benefits of a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment include the following:
They achieve stringent water quality standards and are effective at removing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. They are relatively tolerant to changes in hydraulic and biological rates. They help protect groundwater and surface water resources.
The simplicity of design results in inexpensive capital, maintenance and operational costs by non-technical personnel. Less energy is required to operate the wetland, which results in increased reliability. They help reduce erosion. They provide natural habitat for wildlife, create an aesthetic landscape amenity, and may be used for outdoor recreation and education.

The wetland system should be inspected every six months. It provides of a wide variety of on-site labor. The most common types of reported work are pulling out undesirable plant species, removing dead vegetation and accumulated organic matter, cleaning of pipes, replanting, and fertilizing.

Despite all the benefits of a wetland treatment system, the technology still faces some obstacles. One such obstacle is our inability to control and predict every outcome for the wetland treatment. Technology assessment research has been conducted to increase our understanding, but biologic and hydrologic processes are less predictable than standard treatment. Also, problems with pests and pathogens are possible. The engineering uncertainty, added with the threat of professional liability, could result in deterrence. Another concern is the constructed wetland size and volume, which may become a major obstacle particularly in an urban setting.

In addition to the problems mentioned, there are also some institutional constraints regarding blackwater wetland development. Constructed wetlands do not fit handily into existing planning regulatory definitions. There exists neither national guidance nor uniform acceptance of them by state agencies. In the state of Washington for instance, constructed wetlands are considered an 'experimental technology.'