wastewater gardens · in organic -type wastewater from human habitations for example, urine and...

W A S T E W A T E R G A R D E N S ® - P R E S E N T A T I O N - 1 / 24

W a s t e w a t e r G a r d e n s ® (WWG)

T h e I n s t i t u t e o f E c o t e c h n i c s - P l a n e t a r y C o r a l R e e f F o u n d a t i o n

l http://www.wastewatergardens.com l

Hotels and Restaurants

Public Parks

Schools

Businesses

Residences

Communities

Public Centers

C O N S T R U C T E D W E T L A N D S - D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O N

A SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, ECOLOGICAL AND LOW-COST SOLUTION FOR YOUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND REUSE


Index

• Introduction – Understanding Sewage and Constructed Wetlands P. 3

• The Technology & Legal Compliance P. 4

• Water Treatment Levels & Treated Water Usage P. 5

• Sound Economics of WASTEWATER GARDENS® P. 6

§ Using WWG as economic incentives

• Advantages of WASTEWATER GARDENS®: an ideal solution P. 7

• Important Design Factors P. 8

• Maintenance P. 9

• How we work with you P. 10

• Installation Process P. 11-12

• WASTEWATER GARDENS® photos and applicability in … Homes P. 13 Resorts & Hotels P. 14-15 Schools & Research Centers P. 16 Communities

The example of Emu Creek, Australia & Tiwoho, North Sulawesi P. 17-19

• Who are we - Our Commitment & Expertise P. 20

• Presentation of the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF) P. 21

• What people say about WASTEWATER GARDENS® P. 22

• WASTEWATER GARDENS® PROJECT references P. 23

• CONTACT P. 24

Available upon request

Nelson M., Cattin F., M. Rajendran, INRA, "Value-adding through creation of high diversity gardens and ecoscapes in subsurface flow constructed wetlands: Case studies in Algeria and Australia of Wastewater Gardens® systems". IIth International Conference on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control, Indore, India, International Water Association (IWA), Vikram University IEMPS, ICWST, November 2008.

Nelson M., Cattin F., Tredwell R., Depuy G, Suraja M., Czech A., "Why there are no better systems than Constructed Wetlands to treat sewage water? - Advantages, Issues and Challenges". II International Congress SmallWAT07, Sevilla, Spain, Center of New Water Technologies (CENTA), Ministry of Environment, on « Sewage water treatment in small communities », November 2007.

Mark Nelson, "Wetland systems for bioregenerative reclamation of wastewater - From closed systems to developing countries", Life Support and Biosphere Science », 5(3): 357-369.

Mark Nelson, “New Paradigms: Wastewater Gardens®, creating urban oases and greenbelts by productive use of the nutrients and water in domestic sewage”. UNEP Conference on Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems, 2002

Tirtagangga Royal Water Gardens, Indonesia, 2 WWG treatment units, 120m2


INTRODUCTION

UNDERSTANDING SEWAGE WHAT ARE CONSTRUCTED WETLAND?

UNDERSTANDING SEWAGE

• Pollution of water resources by improperly or inadequately treated (sewage) contaminates ecosystems, drinking water supplies and is a leading cause of human disease worldwide (some 3.5 million people, mostly children under 5 die every year, about 9,000 people every day, from diseases caused by sewage pollution such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid). In addition to urgent human health issues, we know that untreated sewage is a leading cause of global coral reef decline, oxygen depletion, fish kill and ecological degradation of rivers and lakes - with the increasing pollution of already limited underground water tables and sources of our drinking water.�

• Yet, this is not the fault of what is called “sewage” but rather by the way we handle some of its components. In organic-type wastewater from human habitations for example, urine and faeces are among the very few natural substances of extreme ecological importance; their richness and potential productivity are such that they were highly valued for millenaries in human societies throughout the globe. Faecal matter (which when mixed with water is commonly called "black water") is very rich in nutrients: 5-7% nitrogen and 3-5% phosphorus, while urine is even more concentrated. These two elements ("materials") alone belong to the most valuable nutrients there are, often referred to in the field of Ecology and Botany as 'limiting factors' to plant growth because of their relative scarcity and irreplaceable value. These nutrients are the main components of most chemical fertilizers. Life promoting, both to microbes and plants, these materials greatly facilitate the formation of rich soils.�

• Used for centuries as potent fertilizers, urine and faeces are being treated today mostly as waste to be disregarded, and in order to evacuate them, mixed with water (it takes 1000 to 2000 tons of water to move 1 ton of excrement), which, in addition to wasting a precious resource, spreads the pathogens (disease causing organisms) in the environment. Organic wastewater especially becomes a problem when it is released in great quantities: when sewage coming from a few humans is released to the milieu, it often breaks down and biodegrades without being a dangerous source of contamination (unless close to a water table). But when population increases, what is otherwise rich and life bearing, becomes dangerous and disease causing: directly sent to natural groundwater, rivers or oceans, this mixture of water becomes a toxic pollution, as an increasing quantity of these elements eventually exceeds ecosystems' natural capacity of digestion and causes eutrophication by excessive nutrients.

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS TO TREAT WASTEWATER?

• Wastewater Gardens® ecotechnology belongs to the family of artificial/constructed wetlands. What a WWG does is reproduce the conditions of natural wetlands, called the “kidneys of the Earth” for their high capacity for sewage treatment and pollution removal via the intensive plant and microbial activity that this ecosystem enables. Unlike many natural wetlands however, WWG belongs to the family of subsurface flow designs, which means that at no moment is the sewage water in contact with the air, thus preventing all bad smells, mosquito breeding or accidental human contact.

• A variety of natural mechanisms effectively treat effluent and purify all water which passes through a wetland, in this case through your Wastewater Gardens® unit. These mechanisms are biological, chemical and physical. One of the principal factors of purification are plants which are able to live in water saturated soils directly assimilating nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) and metals, removing these “pollutant” elements from the water and incorporating them into their plant tissue. The top part of the plants above the gravel brings down oxygen to the roots, which in turns enables microorganisms to live. A kind of symbiosis develops whereby the plants are consistently nourished via the water and its nutrients, among which some of the breakdown material produced by the microbes able to live through the oxygen generated by the same plants.�

• Highly efficient at removing potentially harmful compounds before they reach rivers, lakes and the ocean, wetlands also support diverse vegetation and provide habitat for many animals which are important to the overall health of the Earth’s ecosystem. In addition to their purifying capacity, constructed wetlands literally create life. Plants are our “3rd lung” as they create the oxygen we need to breathe, and metabolize carbon dioxide which we exhale.

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T H E T E C H N O L O G Y & L E G A L C O M P L I A N C E

The use of wetlands to treat effluent is not a new idea. But in recent decades, wetland scientists have deepened our understanding of how natural wetlands function and provided the basis for the design of constructed wetlands which put these systems to effective work solving environmental problems. WASTEWATER GARDENS® sewage treatment system was initially developed in the Biosphere 2 Test Module in 1987, and then put to full test in the world renowned first large scale global ecology and closed systems laboratory experimental facility (1.2 hectares, 3 acre), BIOSPHERE 2, in Arizona, during its first years of closure experiments from 1991 to 1994. The WWG system was designed in conjunction with NASA scientists and managed/researched by

Dr. Mark Nelson, a member of the eight people Biosphere 2 crew and in charge of the water cycle within Biosphere 2. The wetland wastewater treatment system purified all sewage water (from laboratories, workshops, human residences, laundry, animals and agricultural operations.). The cycle of water being extremely accelerated within Biosphere 2 (4 days instead of 3-4 years on Earth), the water had to be effectively treated and recycled in a healthy, ecological manner in order for this mini biosphere and its inhabitants to function well. After leaving Biosphere 2, Dr. Mark Nelson, in collaboration with the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF) and the Institute of Ecotechnics, working with the eminent systems ecologist, H.T. Odum of the Center for Wetlands at the University of Florida, further refined the WWG design to make it adaptable and available for application worldwide, in a wide diversity of ecosystems. Since, WWG systems have been installed in Algeria, Australia, Belize, Europe (France, Poland, Portugal, Spain), Indonesia, Mexico, the US and The Bahamas.�

Biosphere 2, Arizona

PRIMARY TREATMENT Septic Tank or similar

Residence time: at least 3 days

Schematics of the WWG system

LEGAL COMPLIANCE

Subsurface flow constructed wetlands have been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Australian authorities, European Health authorities and various other countries' agencies, and meet their wastewater standards. All constructed wetlands designed and built by WWG team around the world have met and often exceeded requirements of purification provided they were well maintained as trained and indicated on the Maintenance Manual.While the ability of WWG systems for water decontamination is often above local Health Authority treatment requirements, when even higher treatment than normal municipal standards is required for special purposes (areas classified as sensitive ecological zones for example), the area of the wetland is increased and/or made of both horizontal and vertical flow wetlands, thus providing the equivalent of advanced water treatment.

Today, this ecotechnology is finally being proven to be far more effective, affordable and long-lasting than conventional sewage treatment system (high energy consumption, mechanical brake-downs, expensive maintenance), although they are not always adaptable to all situations (higher requirement of land than most conventional sytems). However, regulatory guidelines and trainings differing markedly from country to country, it can be necessary to educate health department officials to sewage treatment via constructed wetlands before the permission to implement a WWG system be granted. �


Surface flow wetland Subsurface flow wetland Wastewater Gardens®

W A T E R T R E A T M E N T L E V E L S

QUALITY OF WATER TREATMENT & USE OF TREATED WATER

• Since Biosphere 2, over one hundred WWG systems have been installed worldwide with purifying results still as effective:

Ø 90-95% BOD reduction (Biological Oxygen Demand) Ø 90-95 % TSS reduction (Total Suspended Solid reduction) Ø 45-80% Nitrogen reduction – This ratio varies greatly in regards to local conditions

and time of test. Ø 30-60% Phosphorus reduction – The same variability of ratio as in Nitrogen can be

observed. Ø Over 98% Coliform bacteria reduction

• If the effluent coming out of the WWG unit/s is to be further used for subsurface irrigation, the waters will know a secondary nutrient uptake process and thus meet even higher standards at final discharge.

• While the treated water from the Wastewater Gardens® is highly reduced in bacteria, it is not up to drinking standards as we normally don’t use a final disinfectant such as chlorine or ultra-violet lights. This means that you can grow and eat fruits and some types of medicinal plants for example, or grow fodder for animals, but shouldn’t plant leafy vegetables destined to human or animal consumption. The discharge water could also be used for flushing toilets but the cost of pumping it back into the infrastructure usually makes this option uneconomical.

Level in the septic tank Level after WWG treatment

Examples of laboratory water analyses of water froma WWG treatment unit (Birdwood Downs homestead, Derby, West Australia)

Another example of water laboratory analysis of a WWG treatment unit (Krempna, Poland)

Parameter Influent concentration Effluent concentration Required level by health authorities DBO5 55,0 mg O2/l 11,0 mg O2/l 40 mg O2/l COD 88,0 mg O2/l 32,0 mg O2/l 150 mg O2/l TSS 74,5 mg/l 49,5 mg/l 50 mg/l Total N 73,7 mg N/l 24,6 mg N/l 30 mg N/l Total P 7,2 mg P/l 2,0 mg P/l 5 mg P/l

Comparison of principal parameters removal efficiency of Wastewater Gardens® subsurface flow systems

with average North American surface and subsurface flow wetlands (based on data from early prototypes in Mexico)

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* There are different types of conventional STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants), including Extended Aeration Biological Systems, Activated Sludges, RBC, and Hybrid systems, with a different cost for each system. For example: Extended Aeration Systems costs around 15% less that Biological Systems in installation, while running costs are typically around 10 times more expensive.

The Sound Economics of Wastewater Gardens®

COST REDUCTION AND LONGER LIFETIME

• While initial investment and installation of WWG unit/s may be higher than some conventional mechanical or chemical systems (STP - See *) (or over 50% lower), depending on the country, labour cost, materials, on the type of plants chosen (mature or budding at start of operation) as well as the nature of the project, operating and maintenance costs are typically 90-95% lower than for high-tech, mechanically based STPs (see *)

o While different types of conventional STPs have varying initial capital costs and maintenance expenses, all have much higher operating and refitting/repair expenses (conventional STPs typically need refitting after 5-10 years of service).

o WASTEWATER GARDENS® have a life cycle of minimum 20 years, which is 2-3 times that which might be expected of an STP, especially in tropical conditions; most conventional sewage treatment systems will have a lifetime of at best 10 years, after which time significant or complete parts replacement must be considered.

• Being natural systems, there are no monthly and/or yearly costs of expensive chemical additives, while WWG systems also provide insurance against inflation of maintenance costs (parts, electricity, service, chemicals, etc.).

• WWG systems are designed to rely completely on gravity-flow, with little or no machinery being used; costs of pumps, electricity, replacement of parts and technician labour for maintenance are removed, unless natural gravity doesn’t allow free flow of water.

• In addition to sewage water treatment and ability to release into the environment purified water, the WASTEWATER GARDENS® can supply part or all of the landscaping needs without need of additional potable water or fertilizer – part or all of the landscape being watered by otherwise wasted water -, which in some sites can represent significant financial savings.

• The discharge water from the WWG being much lower in organic compounds (BOD) and suspended solids, problems with important quantity of water having to be released into the environment, with attendant problems of soils absorption capacity in the leachfields, are greatly reduced; WWG discharge water will much less likely clog soils and leachdrains remain effective for a much longer time, sometimes indefinitely.

USING WASTEWATER GARDENS® AS AN ECONOMICAL INCENTIVE

• Wastewater Gardens® are a low-cost and effective solution by providing a sustainable solution to the problem of how to deal with sewage by generating useful and saleable products from the effective use of the wastewater. The “sludge” (solids from the primary treatment) can be composted, which kills any potential pathogenic bacteria, to produce beneficial organic fertilizer. The constructed wetland and secondary subsoil irrigation can be used to grow crops such as fast-growing timber, cut flowers, medicinal plants and herbs, fiber for handicraft manufacture and fruits.

• Wastewater Gardens® can also be created to deal with sludge from septic tank pumpout trucks. Constructed wetlands have been shown to be effective in utilizing this material which otherwise is expensive to treat and dispose. This service, combined with the use - or sale - of compost and the harvested products grown on the WWG, can help defray the costs of construction and operation of a treatment system such as Wastewater Gardens®.

• Wastewater Gardens® are built with local labour and local materials rather than importing expensive machinery and/or chemical products. Thus both initial capital investment and operating costs reflect and contribute to local, regional and national economies.

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WWG ADVANTAGES: AN IDEAL SOLUTION WWG SYSTEMS ADDRESS ALL SANITARY, ECONOMICAL, ECOLOGICAL AND AESTHETICAL CRITERIA OF A PROJECT:

• Subsurface wetland systems are long-term solutions. Wastewater Gardens® become more effective at wastewater treatment as the plants grow and establish, compared with mechanical systems which become less effective as machinery ages. After a cycle of 15-20 years, gravel and plants may need to be renewed in order to provide again proper sanitation for another cycle of decades.

• Wastewater Gardens® are low-cost and long-lived (20 years +) provided simple maintenance procedures are followed.

• Although construction costs depend on country and design, WWG systems are generally less expensive to build than conventional chemical or mechanical sewage treatments and always dramatically lower in their running costs: 5 to 10% of ordinary maintenance and operating costs, since little or no machinery is used.

• WWG systems are capable of extremely high rates of wastewater cleaning without the use of expensive, environmentally harmful chemicals like chlorine, nor electrical energy (although the use of pumps is sometimes required). In research over the past several decades, this type of system, even in its more primitive design forms, has a well-documented track record of consistently cleaning water to levels better than municipal standards for wastewater treatment.

• There are no odors as the sewage is kept from contact with the air.

• There is no mosquito breeding nor other nuisances associated with open wastewater systems, such as sewage lagoons or surface-flow wetlands. The possibility of accidental contact with the sewage is also eliminated (reduced to someone deliberately digging into the wetland gravel).

• WWG systems can be custom designed, from small units for a single residence to larger areas for industry or city/town systems; similar constructed wetlands treatment systems have been built for towns with populations from 10,000-20,000 people to treat millions of liters of wastewater daily. No surplus capacity needs be accounted for as new demands can easily be met by WWG unit expansion as amount of sewage generated increases (lower initial investment cost).

• While Wastewater Gardens® systems can provide a considerable economy in water being specifically dedicated to landscaping, they add considerably to the landscape beauty where they are used; hotel and house owners with wetland treatment systems have some of the most beautiful gardens in their area. They can as well include plants to be harvested for useful or saleable products.

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Wastewater is being put to productive use instead of being treated like a pollution, representing great economy of resources (energy and water); it nurtures existing or new (WWG) gardens so that demand on freshwater resources (drinking quality water) can be greatly reduced. Purification is done with plants, microbes, sunlight and gravity rather than expensive machinery or chemical products; It doesn’t generate additional pollution. WWG systems can also be conceived to enable plant production centers (ornamental flowers, medicinal plants, fast growing timber, weaving material, fodder for the animals, …) without additional need of water.

Up do 50% cheaper to install * and up to 90% cheaper to maintain. * Depending on the country of installation and nature of the project.

Lasts for renewable decades.

. No harmful products nor contributing pollution in the disinfection process.

. Creation of new ‘green zones’.


IMPORTANT DESIGN FACTORS

CLIMATE AND REGIONAL APPLICABILITY

Since WWG systems rely primarily on green plants and microbes, they perform more rapidly in warm, sunny conditions, the approach is ideal for climates ranging from tropical to semi-Mediterranean-type climates and some southern hemisphere semi-desert and desert climates. In these conditions with higher temperatures and increased sunlight, system productivity is high year-round. Applications for colder regions however can also be very effective as has been shown in WWG projects in New Mexico and Poland, located in high elevation sites with long winters. However, in colder climates, the necessary surface per resident must be larger (at least twice than for a warmer climate) to accomplish similar treatment. Wastewater Gardens systems are not only especially recommended for use in on-site systems, close to the facilities they are to service, but have also demonstrated their responsiveness in areas with groundwater close to the surface, for sites with rocky or impermeable clay soils (that often prevent standard leachfields from operating), as well as for sensitive areas close to rivers, lakes and coastal waters (possible creation of buffer zones).�

GREYWATER TREATMENT

Greywater refers to wastewater other than that from the toilet and toilet lavabo referred to as faecal or blackwater. Greywater includes showers and bath water, laundry machines, sinks and kitchen water (although in some applications kitchen water can be joined to the faecal water and be treated by a WWG unit as well, as it contains food particles, grease and oil). Some water issued from industrial operations can also be classified as greywater although the water content would be carefully analyzed in order to adapt the constructed wetland's design to purify harmful compounds. In numerous situations however, greywater doesn't call for a treatment as intensive as what is provided by a constructed wetland / WWG unit and so the WWG unit is used just to treat the black water. If land is not an issue though and that there is a large quantity of greywater to be treated, then a constructed wetland / WWG unit is also appropriate and will generally represent much smaller surfaces than if it was treating blackwater. In the case where both types of water are separated, keeping WWG systems for blackwater treatment only, greywater would only need to pass through a sedimentation tank before going directly into subsurface irrigation trenches. The advantages of separating greywater is that more irrigation can be accomplished with the wastewater and overall project costs will be lower, as the WWG unit will treat a smaller quantity of water. However, we often work in situations where the separation between black and grey waters is too difficult and/or expensive, just as a "retrofit" to existing plumbing, and therefore design the WWG system to treat both types of water.

STORMWATER TREATMENT

In urban settings and in regions subject to flooding during storms, constructed wetlands are being employed to clean the water and to slow down the movement of water which creates flood pulses. Stormwater from urban and paved surfaces often contain pollutants like oil and fuel residues which can be readily cleansed in a wetland. In addition, in areas where freshwater supplies are limited or expensive, making use of the stormwater enables the greening of the landscape using a natural and renewable resource.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

In the Western-type housing sector for example, we assume normal wastewater generation of 125-200 litres per person per day (European average) although this number can vary greatly according to cultural norms, geographical location and type of infrastructures and appliances; for example, a city dweller will have the tendency to use more water than a countryside dweller and a hotel guest can have a water consumption that is double or triple than a resident’s. For a generation of 150 Liters of both blackwater and greywater mixed, depending on the climate and requirements of purification, we would apply a surface of 2.5 to 4 m2 of WWG surface. This indication depends on many factors including the climate (the warmer the climate, the smaller an area is needed since the plants and microbes are more effective year-round), the kind of infrastructure and water faucets used, the amount and nature of wastewater generated, what standard of treatment is required or desired. In cold climates, these numbers may be twice or three times as large, depending on the level of treatment required during the cold periods of the year, when plants are dormant and bacterial activity is slower. In the industrial sector, no pre-indication can be given as WWG surface will depend on the nature of the industry and thus on the type of compounds to be treated in the water. �


MAINTENANCE

Our staff provides detailed on-site training of indicated person or personnel and a maintenance manual upon

completion of the project. Proper functioning of the systems is dependent on several simple but important

principal maintenance steps are:

• Primary Treatment: septic tanks need normal maintenance: filters need checking

every 3-6 months and washing/rinsing if necessary. The septic tank should be

pumped out when solids fill more than half its depth (a standard requirement for

septic tank maintenance). Regardless of what primary treatment system is used, the

sludge should then also be put to productive use, either via vermicompost in order to

create high quality soil or via methane and energy production.

• Gravel: the surface of the gravel should be kept as clean as possible; if porosity of

the original gravel declines, new gravel can be substituted or the original gravel

removed and cleaned. The plants can then be transplanted back in, and the system

can continue effective treatment for decades more.

• WWG Water Level: Water levels in the wetland cells need to be checked

periodically via the control box, especially during periods of low occupation when

evapotranspiration may exceed input into the treatment wetland. Until plants become

well established it is important that water levels not be allowed to drop below their root

zone.

• Plants: the wetland plants need normal garden care - pruning for appearance and

encouragement of new growth and flowers. Heavy prunings of plants should be

removed from the WWG to prevent reduction of gravel porosity when that material

decays. The prunings can be used for mulch outside the system or added to compost

piles. Should the WWG be planted before being used and connected to the primary

treatment (septic tank or similar), in absence of the sewage water's nutrients it may

be necessary to fertilize the wetland to help the plants get established (not forgetting

an adequate water levels).

• Drainage: ensuring that drainage is adequate around the WWG so that runoff

rainwater and soil do not wash into the system is extremely important. Wastewater

Gardens® are built with a berm higher than surrounding ground level, but one must

check occasionally to make sure soil has not built up around the WWG basin, which

would allow rain runoff and soil to enter. In the case of the drainage of treated water, if

drainage into the soil is chosen, flushing of the drain pipes may be necessary to avoid

clogging.


HOW WE WORK WITH YOU

Please contact the corresponding regional representative (Contacts, page 25)


INSTALLATION PROCESS (1/2)

of WWG basin

WWG unit piping in place

2- Excavation of plumbing networks + drainage trenches (by hand or by machine)

1- Excavation of WWG basin + Control Box (by hand or by machine)

3- Water proofing of WWG basin (in clay, concrete o membrane) + its Control Box

WWG unit water fill to check on waterproofness.

WWG water level Control box

(right photo is a system by gravity, photo below

shows a back-up system with a pump to

send the treated water to higher

grounds for drainage, system

called "inverted leadchrain")


INSTALLATION PROCESS (2/2)

WWG unit borders are covered by gravel,

rocks, brick walls, or …

WWG system is ready to be planted and connected to the building’s plumbing

Planting

A WWG unit 6 month later

Gravel fill of WWG unit + Drain/Subsurface Irrigation trenches (by hand or by machine)


APPLICABILITY l HOMES

WASTEWATER GARDENS® for Homes, Hotels, Schools, Community Centres and Commercial Ventures

• To date, WASTEWATER GARDENS® have been installed in about 100 homes, hotels, businesses and communities worldwide. Among private residences featured:

Christensen residence

Casa-del-Sol

Posner residence

Casa Alux

Mulgrew residence

Brewer residence

Carter residence


APPLICABILITY l HOTELS, RESORTS, PARKS & CENTRES (1/2)

WASTEWATER GARDENS® for Homes, Hotels, Commercial Ventures, Schools and Community Centers

In the case of the tourism sector, hoteliers worldwide understand that the proper treatment of their business’s wastewater means that they not only contribute to preserve their area’s ecosystem, but also that they can promote themselves as establishments which are making sound environmental choices

La Joya Condominium,

Kakatoa Villas

Puri Padi Villas

Sacred Mountain Sanctuary

Sacred Mountain Sanctuary

PCRF Field Station’s WWG, handling waste of up to 16 people

… 3 years later …

Xpu-Ha Eco-Park, Restaurant, handling wastewater for 1500 people.


Xpu-Ha Eco Park

APPLICABILITY l HOTELS, RESORTS, PARKS & CENTRES (2/2)


Coco-Eco B&B + Family House

Synergia Ranch Conference Centre

Synergia Ranch Conference Centre,

Control Box

Eco-Park Commercial Kitchen

Birdwood Downs Homestead, Control Box

Tropical Padus Resort, Tulum

Les Marronniers Conference Center

Birdwood Downs Homestead


One of the WWG treatment unit, Sunrise School

Jagellonian University, Close-up of Plants, (Plants still in growing stage)

Jagellonian University, Close-up of Plants

APPLICABILITY l SCHOOLS & RESEARCH CENTERS


As solutions for fresh water conservation become increasingly important to our governments and local communities, WWG units are being installed into schools as community scale treatment systems. They are also an excellent way to increase public awareness and promote education. Among the schools & community centers which have trusted us with their wastewater recycling:

- The Sunrise School servicing 70 students and staff, Legian, Bali - The Cape Eleuthera Island School with 60 students & staff, The Bahamas - Jagellonian University, Research Center, Magursky National Park, Poland - Tirtigangga Water Palace, Bali, Indonesia

- The Children’s Village, Manila, Philippines - Manado Community Center MAP- Mangrove Action Project Sulawesi, Indonesia

Another WWG unit,

Sunrise School

Two WWG units, Cape Eleuthera Island School

Another WWG system, Cape Eleuthera Island School Cape Eleuthera Island School,

Close-up of plants

Jagellonian University, Close

Jagellonian University Research Center, Magursky National Park, Krempna, Poland. Project sponsored with support of WWF and the Sendzimir Foundation.


APPLICABILITY l COMMUNITIES ... 1/3

Constructed Wetlands such as WASTEWATER GARDENS® can also be applied to larger populations, such as community or village/town scale projects. There are numerous examples in the United States for example of subsurface flow wetlands treating wastewater of populations of up to 20,000 people, involving millions of liters / gallons of wastewater daily. In these cases, the WWG UNIT/S can be scaled in size for a single-treatment area, or the problems can be solved with a series of decentralized, regional WWGs to minimize the cost and extent of pumping and piping and to take maximal advantage of gravity flow.

EMU CREEK (GULGAGULGANENG) NEAR KUNUNURRA, WEST AUSTRALIA AND JOY SPRINGS COMMUNITY NEAR FITZROY CROSSING, WEST AUSTRALIA

In 2002, 3 WASTEWATER GARDENS® units were installed to solve the health and environmental problems caused by wastewater at the Emu Creek aboriginal community in Kununurra, Western Australia of fifty people and in 2004 five WWG UNITS were installed to at the Joy Springs community, Fitzroy Crossing, West Australia.

PROBLEMS THAT HAD TO BE SOLVED & SOLUTIONS PROVIDED:

Houses at both communities were situated on low ground, subject to soil inundation during the rainy season; as a consequence, normal leachdrain disposal after septic tanks failed and sewage water was present on the surface of the ground, causing ill-health, odor, and environmental degradation by the fouling of groundwater and surface water. Furthermore, the community being smaller and the houses being scattered, it made pumping to a centralized sewage treatment plant uneconomic.

In addition to servicing technical and economical needs (cost saving compared to a centralized sewage treatment plant was considerable), both communities have been greened and beautified using the treated wastewater. Since the community has been instructed on how their WASTEWATER GARDENS® function, the people have now a better understanding of the consequences of water usage in the community.

Water quality tests have demonstrated the high degree of water treatment already being achieved in the first two years after installation (e.g. around 90% reduction in BOD (organic compounds), suspended solids and 60-80% reductions in nutrients).

STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION:

Another benefit of this community-based Wastewater treatment was the involvement of the communities themselves, as it was the residents of Emu Creek (Gulgagulganeng) and Joy Springs who, upon consultation, chose the approach:

• Members of the community advised on which plants would be used in the WWG, requesting beautiful flowering plants.

• Community members were employed during the construction and trained in the ongoing maintenance and operation of the new systems.

• Workshops were held on the subject of water conservation.

• Painters from the Emu Creek community designed and painted their Dreamtime Stories on the control boxes of the systems, affirming their ownership of the new garden treatment systems.

• At four of the Joy Springs house systems, water is pumped to a raised soil area (inverted leachdrain) during periods of high-water during the wet season. These areas were also planted to flowering shrubs, native plants and fruit trees, further greening the community,



EMU CREEK (GULGAGULGANENG) NEAR KUNUNURRA, WEST AUSTRALIA

50 PEOPLE, 3 WWG UNITS

Emu Creek Stakeholders and planning meeting

Emu Creek Artist resident

Paperbark trees – sign of high water table at the community community has stand

One of Emu Creek ’s 3 newly installed and planted WWG for 50 people.

One of the three WWG

Maturing plants

Initial WWG growing stage After three months of growth

(in September 2002)

Dream Time Paintings by community artists on WWG Control Boxes



JOY SPRINGS ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY: 5 HOUSES FITTED WITH WWG TREATMENT UNITS

FOUR WITH INVERTED LEACHDRAINS FOR WET SEASON OPERATION AND FURTHER GREENING OF COMMUNITY.

One of the Wastewater Gardens at Joy Springs (left) shortly after planting in July 2004. At right, an inverted leachdrain prior to planting to enable operation of wastewater systems

even when community has flooding during wet season. MANGROVE ACTION PROJECT COMMUNITY CENTER IN TIWOHO, NORTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

A first WASTEWATER GARDEN® in North Sulawesi, using mangrove species, was designed and constructed in 2003. This WASTEWATER GARDEN® system serves as an educational tool by demonstrating the diversity and usefulness of Indonesian mangroves, amongst the most biodiverse mangrove ecosystems in the world. The system replicates mangrove zonation from coastal to back mangrove ecology. In addition, it will showcase mangroves used locally for traditional medicines, fibre, food and fuelwood. Our strategy for the Mangrove Action Project sites around the world is to use a wide variety of mangrove species (true mangroves and mangrove associates), ranging from shallow-rooted back mangrove species to deep-rooted trees found throughout all major mangrove zones. The use of a wide range of plants - and subsequently a diversity of root systems - helps to oxygenate the subsurface environment and thereby to support microbial life which enhances the performance of the WWG system. The use of a wide range of species also mitigates impact on system performance should disease or insects affect one species. The ability of WWG to support the life of a wide range of wetland species is illustrated by its capacity to showcase the importance and richness of North Sulawesi mangroves.

Initial planting of mangrove species in July 2004 at Tiwoho, north Sulawesi (right). Growth of the mangroves species in December 2004 (right).

The Wastewater Garden serves a community centre for bamboo utilization implemented by the Mangrove Action Project.


OUR COMMITMENT & EXPERTISE

OUR COMMITMENT

Wastewater Gardens® team is internationally committed to spreading constructed wetland technology into the areas most in need: so-called developing countries, semi-desert/desert and tropical climates, ocean coastlines, waterways and lands where water conservation and reutilization is essential. Depending on project location and dimension, we work with a team of people and at times organizations around the world who join us on a per-project basis through their experience with constructed wetlands, while we look forward to a training program that enables people to maintain and build their own systems. We work with our own construction team or with the contractor chosen by our Client.�

OUR EXPERTISE: AMONG THE WWG TEAM …

Dr. Mark Nelson Ph. D.: Director and primary advisor for Projects WASTEWATER GARDENS INTERNATIONAL

Nelson is Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Ecotechnics and Director of the Birdwood Downs project in West Australia since 1978. He was the former Director of Space and Environmental Applications for Space Biospheres Ventures (1985-94), and a member of the 8-person closure team in BIOSPHERE 2, 1991-1993, where he managed

the constructed wetland used for wastewater treatment in the facility. He completed his doctorate in Environmental Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida, with a dissertation on subsurface flow wetlands in tropical coastal environments. Mark has worked for several decades in closed ecological system research, ecological engineering, the restoration of damaged ecosystems, desert agriculture, orchardry and wastewater recycling. He was a summa cum laude graduate from Dartmouth College, Phi Beta Kappa and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the honors engineering society.

Florence Cattin: International Project Liaison, Site Survey and Implementation

Coordinator WASTEWATER GARDENS INTERNATIONAL

Ms Cattin has worked in the field of international and cross-cultural project management and coordination in Europe, the United-States and Africa. She is the co. founder and president of K-PITAL Production, an NGO focused on raising awareness on eco-citizenship through

communication campaigns and the application of environmental solutions. She is a member of the network “Collectif Jo’burg 2002“ which presented and follows-up on French civil society’s stance and contribution to environmental issues at the Johannesburg RIO +10 Summit on Sustainable Development. She works extensively towards bringing together representatives of successful grassroots social and ecological initiatives and when possible, with official development programs headed by funding, institutional and/or governmental bodies. She studied Oceanography and continued with an individual major in Human and Natural Sciences at the University of San-Francisco. Dr. Andrzej Czech: Project Liaison/Regional Representative Poland

WASTEWATER GARDENS INTERNATIONAL

Dr. Andrzej Czech was a driving force in the establishment of the Carpathian Heritage Society in April 1999. It developed into a constructive organization, which actively participates in the protection and rebuilding (rejuvenation) of the natural and cultural environment of the Carpathian Mountains. Sustainable development is the foundation of its activities as a chance for present and future. A Ph.D. graduate of Jagellonian University in Krakow, his dissertation research centered on the reintroduction of the beaver to the areas. Andrzej, working in conjunction with Wastewater Gardens International, established the first pilot-project demonstrations of the technology in Poland at the Magursky National Park University field station and in the Tri-Lateral Biosphere Reserve in the Carpathians near Lutowiska.

Mark van Thillo: Large units construction Supervisor

PLANETARY CORAL REEF FOUNDATION

Mr. Van Thillo is currently a Director and the Chief Operations Officer of the Biosphere Foundation and its division the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation, as well as a former Director and Vice-President of Technical Systems for the Global Ecotechnics Corporation, a company in charge of designing with the Biosphere Foundation a 1,200 sq. ft. modular closed ecological system for advanced studies pertaining to a manned Mars-based habitat. Former co. Captain for the two year BIOSPHERE 2 experiment where he was responsible for the maintenance and operation of all technical equipment, he was also in charge of all construction quality control for the Biosphere 2 project (1986-1991) and from 1993-1994, Executive Manager of Technical Systems for Space Biospheres Ventures, the company managing BIOSPHERE 2. He is an on-site WWG construction supervisor when project size calls for his expertise.


THE PLANETARY CORAL REEF FOUNDATION (PCRF)

THE PLANETARY CORAL REEF FOUNDATION (PCRF) WAS FOUNDED IN 1991 TO ADDRESS THE WORLDWIDE DEMISE OF CORAL REEFS THROUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.

STATEMENT OF MISSION

To establish a global database and baseline

for coral reefs.

To track the health of coral reefs worldwide.

To pioneer new techniques for monitoring and mapping coral reefs using underwater observations and satellite imagery.

To improve the technology for the restoration of coral reef ecosystems.

To provide seamanship and coral reef educational opportunities aboard the boat RV HERACLITUS.

To pursue the research of coral reef pharmaceutical for new medicines.

To launch international educational campaigns about coral reefs encouraging efforts to preserve & protect them.

To fulfill its mission, PCRF chartered until recently the 84 foot research vessel, the RV HERACLITUS AND now MIR in order to conduct world-wide on-site studies of reefs to establish a real mapping of their existence; an on-going observation and analysis which enables to check on their health and vitality. Remote sensing and satellite technology accompany these field studies.

In its efforts to fight water pollution, PCRF significantly contributed to the creation of Wastewater Gardens® internationally and its network. It has contributed to the construction of numerous WWG units in the world and continues to seek to further extend this ecotechnology in highly sensitive areas, in particular in countries where aquatic or marine ecosystems are severely endangered.�

PCRF BOARDS OF DIRECTORS

Abigail Alling, M.S.

President, PCRF

Princess Basma Bint Ali Founder, Royal Jordanian Ecological Diving Club

Dr. Paul Coleman

President, Universities Space Research Associates

Orla Doherty, M.S. Director, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Bali

Cynthia Lazaroff Executive VP, PCRF

Kenneth R. Heitz Advisor

Bruce Ludwig

Chairman, Ludwig & Company

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols Director, Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Anambas

islands

Sally Silverstone

Chief Financial Officer, PCRF

Mark Van Thillo

Chief Operations Officer, PCRF

William G. Walker Legal Counsel

Dr. Hugh Wheir, DVM Advisor

http://www.pcrf.org


... WHAT PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT OUR SYSTEM ...

WASTEWATER GARDENS® owners have expressed great satisfaction with the quality of the water effluent, the beauty of the WWG gardens and the simplicity of maintenance of the system.

« The technology is more than sustainable - the wetland is restorative, producing beauty and food and a new natural diversity that would not exist right now in the middle of our campus. » Chris Maxey - Director of the Island School Cape Eleuthera, the Bahamas

“Since we have been using the WASTEWATER GARDENS® system we have not experienced any odor and our guests all love it. I am happy about the aesthetic; instead of a machine that makes noise, requires maintenance, breaks down, I have a beautiful garden. I am thrilled about this beautiful way of treating wastewater.” Laura Bush - Owner Hotel Club Akumal Caribe Villas Maya, Mexico

“Its wonderful thing to take waste and turn it into a thing of beauty.“ Vince Welnick - Home owner, Akumal, Mexico

« The WASTEWATER GARDENS® that we had installed is not only a visual enhancement, but knowing what a benefit to our earth it is, it makes it so much more enjoyable - truly the best improvement we've made to our home. » Laurie Welnick - Home owner, Akumal, Mexico

« We have two separate system and both of them have been working much above our expectations, we use flowers from the wetland for decorative purpose, and they don't smell!!! A very nice system indeed and a lot for our nature.» ROBERTO FABBRI, Managing Director, Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort


Mr Emerald Starr Owner The Sacred Moutain Sanctuary Villas Banjar Budamanis, Sidemen, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia Email: [email protected] TOTAL AREA OF WWG: 100 M2 INTO 6 WWG UNITS

Ministère des Ressources en Eaux (Ministry of Water Resources) Dpt Assainissement et Protection de l'Environnement (Department of Health and Environmental Protection MRE/DAPE 3, Rue du Caire Kouba Algiers People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Tel.: +213 (0) 21 68 95 00 / (21) 28 39 51 / (21) 28 38 37 Fax: +213 (0) 21 28 31 99 http://www.mre.gov.dz/eau/acceuil5-5-5-5.htm TOTAL AREA OF WWG: 400 m2

REFERENCES

Posner residence Courtyard WWGW system

Wastewater Gardens ®

Mr Jack Kenworthy Cape Eleuthera Island School

The Bahamas Tel.: +1-242 359-7625 – Fax: +1-242 334-8300

Email: [email protected] http://www.islandschool.org TOTAL AREA OF WWG: 90 M2

Mr Nick Alford Environmental Health Officer for Indigenous

Communities Shire of Derby/West Kimberley

Tel.: +61 (08)91910999 Fax : 61 (08) 91931755

Email: [email protected]

Carpathian Heritage Society Czysta 17/4

31-121 Kraków Poland

Tel. +48-601 91 29 65 - Fax. +48-12 631 57 32 Email: [email protected]

Mr Francesco & Molly Rimondi Les Marronniers Conference Center

405 Chemin de la Bastide Rouge, 13100 Aix en Provence, France

Tel. : +33 (0)4 42 23 08 85 Fax : (0)4 42 96 10 19

[email protected] TOTAL AREA OF WWG: 25 M2

Mr Roberto Fabbri Managing Director G&R Development Company of Belize, Ltd. KANANTIK Jungle & Reef Resort P.O. Box 1482 Belize City, Belize, Central America Tel. & Fax. : +501-6-12048 - Cell.: +501-14-8933 E-mail: g&[email protected] http://www.kanantik.com TOTAL AREA OF WWG: 200 M2

Homestead, Birdwood Downs 10 m2 WWG system

Tirtagangga Royal Water Gardens, Bali, Indonesia, 2 WWG, 120m2 (constructed with support of the Seacology Foundation and Livingry Foundation).

BAPEDALDA

Indonesia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection


One of 3 WWG treatment units, servicing 50 people, Emu Creek Aboriginal Community

EUROPE / POLAND

Dr Andrzej Czech Natural Systems

Uherce Mineralne 285 38-623 Uherce Mineralne, Poland,

Tel.: +48-601912965 Fax: +48-122950374


FOUNDER, PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

Dr. Mark Nelson Wastewater Gardens International

7 Silver Hills Road Santa Fe, NM 87508, USA


AUSTRALIA

Robyn Tredwell Birdwood Downs Company Gibb River Rd./ PO Box 124

Derby, West Australia 6728

Tel.: +61 (0)891911275 Fax.: +61 (0)891912072


INDONESIA (TBC)

Yayasan IDEP Foundation Br. Bucuan

Desa Batuan Sukawati

Gianyar 80582 - Bali – Indonesia Tel: +62 (0)361 29 49 93

Mobile. +62 (0)817 47 45 042 Email: [email protected]

T h e I n s t i t u t e o f E c o t e c h n i c s P l a n e t a r y C o r a l R e e f F o u n d a t i o n

l http://www.wastewatergardens.net l

INTERNATIONAL LIAISON, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

Florence Cattin Apartado Postal Nº54

11150 Vejer de la Frontera Cádiz, Andalucía - Spain


C O N S T R U C T E D W E T L A N D S - D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O N

BELIZE

Lucien Chung MSc. PEng. Chung's Engineering Co. Ltd.

8 Dickenson St. Belize City

Belize. Tel: +501-610 2009 Fax: +501-227-0849


EUROPE / ITALY

Dr. Davide Tocchetto Via C. Maltoni, 25

31044 Montebelluna Italy

Tel: +39-423 61 40 39 338 1501854


NEW ZEALAND

Bill Rucks Water Alchemy Ltd

Tel: +64 - 3 - 544 9148 Fax: +64 - 21 - 258 2063


AUSTRALIA

Andrew Hemsley Integrated Natural Systems

20, Holdsworth Street Fremantle

West Australia 6160 Tel: +61 (0)417 122 278

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

INDONESIA (TBC)

PT Alam Santi JL Tukad Yeh Aya IX

Gang 9a Renon Denpasar 80226 - Bali

Indonesia Tel: +62 (0)817 474 5042

(0)815 58 202406 Email: [email protected]

INDIA - LIAISON

Malini Rajendran MIECOFT

Mission to Implement Eco-Friendly Technology 110, Shikha Apartments, 48, I.P.Extension

Delhi 110092 India

Tel: 91-011-22236529 Cell:+91 9868103558

Email: [email protected] ��

wastewater gardens · in organic -type wastewater from human habitations for example, urine and...

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