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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: <permed@nor.com.au>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: living machines
  • Date: Sat, 15 Dec 01 22:58:54 -0000


> Even here in conservative Midwest US
>there is increasing interest in these alternative to septic systems. I
>have received
>two calls in past two weeks from folks wanting to look into these
>alternatives. The
>biggest hurdle is local Health Dept. are very nervous about approving these.
>
>Brent

What it takes is one successful project to be well monitored and
regularly tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system to Health
Departments.

The reedbed/wetland greywater treatment system I installed here at
Djanbung Gardens 1994 was the first domestic system in NSW. Through the
local university I found a post-grad student to take it on as a research
project with regular testing etc The results were passed on to local
Council and the Health Dept. I received a state Rivercare 2000 Award for
the system & composting toilet (the excess urine from the compost loo
goes into the reedbed as well as grey water). In 1997 I installed the
state's first domestic reedbed treatment system for septic effluent for
the flush toilet and comercial kitchen in the education centre here.

In the meantime the health department has become quite supportive of
constructed wetland treatment systems, especially for wastewater
containing greywater as it's the only treatment that effectively takes
care of the salts (sodium) in soaps and detergents which will otherwise
eventually cause salting problems in the soil through
evaporation/transpiration beds.

Robyn Francis




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