Piece Description

There's an alternative way to treat wastewater: filtering it with live plants and even snails! A "Living Machine" uses natural processes to break down wastes. Wastewater is channeled into tanks that contain "mini-ecosystems" of live plants, algae, koi, freshwater shrimp, snails, and bacteria. These organisms purify the water by eating the wastes. A Living Machine can purify contaminated water in about four days - all without chemicals. It costs less than conventional water treatment, and it's easier on the environment. And while it can't replace large municipal water treatment systems, a Living Machine can process nearly one million gallons of contaminated water per day. Living Machines were developed and patented by the Living Designs Group of Taos, New Mexico. The promising technology both conserves water and reduces the burden on public water treatment systems. For example, Florida's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary uses a Living Machine to treat wastewater from toilets, reducing discharge to a nearby leachfield by as much as 90 percent.