The Living Machine Vishal Mehta Daniel Perez

The Goal  The goal of the “living machine” is to convert murky, dirty water into crystal clear water.  This mimics the natural cleansing processes that takes place in wetlands.  The concept was created by John Todd.

Making A Difference  The overall potential of this treatment process is that it removes pollutants in water.  Unlike regular treatment plants, it doesn’t use chlorine and filters out metals using natural means.

How It Works  First, sewage goes in an anaerobic settling tank. This is where large particles settle to the bottom of the reactor.  It then goes into a biofilter, which is made of bark and humic material. This helps to reduce odors.  Next, the sewage moves to aerobic tanks. It contains photosynthetic algae that put oxygen back in the water.

Organisms Used  Bacteria are also used for producing nitrates. Managers have to add calcium for these types of bacteria to survive.  Taller plants are also used to isolate heavy metals from the environment.  Fish, snails, and clams are also used in the filtering procedure.

Technological Obstacles  Bacteria have to be kept in specific conditions to use.  This includes temperature, food sources, and pressure.  In addition to bacteria, all other processes have to be kept in check.

Political / Economic Obstacles  No political or economical obstacles exist.  The cost of living machines actually much less than other waste sanitation processes by millions of dollars.

Negative Environmental Impacts  No negative impacts exist as long as the system is designed correctly.

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