A practical and affordable wastewater treatment system serving small community in suburban areas was studied. The system was a vegetated sequencing batch coal slag bed integrated with the rhythmical movement of wastewater and air like that of a sequencing batch reactor. The removal mechanisms capitalized on the pollutant removal process in conventional constructed wetland. Cyperus alternifolius was planted into the coal slag bed to form a novel plant-soil-microbial interactive system. Nutrients in the domestic wastewater, which cause environmental nuisance like eutrophication, were targeted to be eliminated by the process design. Operated with the contact time of 18 h, the treatment systems achieved around 60% removal efficiency for carbonaceous matters. The removals of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus were about 50% and 40%, respectively, while the removal of total suspended solids was approaching 80%. From the current study.. the construction cost of the vegetated sequencing batch coal slag bed was 256 RMB/m(3) and the operation cost was 0.13 RMB/m(3). With the advantages of ease of operation, low costs, desirable treatment efficiency and aesthetic value, the vegetated sequencing batch coal slag bed is proposed to be an alternative for onsite domestic wastewater treatment in suburban areas. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.