Living Machine Munches Waste at Marine Center
Wednesday, May 11th, 2005A cost-effective pilot program which uses aquatic plants and creatures to clean wastewater is now the operational sewage treatment plant for the Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS) in Astoria, OR.
This facility, a modified greenhouse, is a valuable component of the MERTS campus and its vision, providing a regional demonstration site. Many representatives from small communities and businesses visited this unique installation to learn how to adapt the technology to their own needs.
Such systems can be found in a number of locations around the world. A company based in Taos, New Mexico, provided the final engineering for installation of the aptly-named “Living Machine®” at the MERTS site. Living Machines Inc., estimates that the Living Machine® costs 50% less than a conventional municipal wastewater system.
The MERTS campus Living Machine® system is split into two treatment trains to facilitate operational flexibility and the support of research initiatives. A series of ecological habitats housed in small fiberglass tanks will serve as the main treatment components in the system. The final polishing of the wastewater takes place in constructed wetlands followed by an ultraviolet disinfection unit. All of these processes take place within greenhouse enclosure. Click the picture below for a condensed look at the step-by-step process.
