Living Machine at Port of Portland-interior

A Living Machine is a form of ecological

sewage treatment Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water p ...

based on fixed-film ecology. The Living Machine system was commercialized and is marketed by Living Machine Systems,

L3C L3C may refer to: * Low-profit limited liability company * Level 3 Communications, a U.S. telco and ISP * L-3 Communications, a U.S. satellite and aerospace company * Aeronca L-3 The Aeronca L-3 group of observation and liaison aircraft were u ...

, a corporation based in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

, United States.

Examples

Examples of Living Machines are mechanical composters for industrial kitchens, effective microorganisms as fertilizer for agricultural purposes, and Integrated Biotectural systems in landscaping and architecture like

Earthships An Earthship is a style of architecture developed in the late 20th century to early 21st century by architect Mike Reynolds (architect), Michael Reynolds. Earthships are designed to behave as Passive solar building design, passive solar earth s ...

or the IBTS Greenhouse. Components like

tomato plant The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

s (for more

water purification Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for hu ...

) and fish (for food) have been part of the living,

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

-like designs. The theory does not limit the size of the system, or the amount of species. One design optimum is a natural ecosystem which is designed for a special purpose like a sewage treating wetland in a suitable ecosystem for the locality. Another optimum is an economically viable system returning profit for the investor. The practice of

permaculture Permaculture is an approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using Systems theory, whole-systems thinking. It applies t ...

is one example for a compromise between the two optimum design points. The scale of Living Machine systems ranges from the individual building to community-scale

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and procured by a government body for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, ...

. Some of the earliest Living Machines were used to treat domestic

wastewater Wastewater (or waste water) is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of do ...

in small, ecologically-conscious villages, such as

Findhorn Community Findhorn Ecovillage, known in the past as the Findhorn Community, and also referred to as Ecovillage Findhorn, is an experimental and utopian community project based at The Park, in Moray, Scotland, near the village of Findhorn focused on ecol ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The latest-generation Tidal Flow Wetland Living Machines are being used in major urban office buildings, military bases, housing developments, resorts and institutional campuses.McNair, Dave
"The Tao of Poo: Can Worrell's Green Sewage System Save Water and Planet?"
''The Hook''. June 11, 2009. Retrieved 2011-9-24.

Living Machine System Process

*“Fixed film ecology” has superseded systems based on hydroponics or a fluid medium. In fixed film systems, the wetland cells are filled with a solid aggregate medium having extensive surface area for beneficial biofilm (treatment bacteria) growth. Fixed film ecology allows denser and more diverse micro-ecosystems to form than does a liquid medium. These ecosystems go well beyond bacteria to include a variety of organisms up to and including macro-vegetation. *Tidal cycles (filling and draining the wetland in accelerated tidal action, with 12 or more cycles per day) are used to passively bring oxygen into the wetland cells. This action mimics the type of biological action that occurs in natural tidal estuaries. Tidal flow wetlands replace the need to blow air into a liquid medium - they use gravity to bring

atmospheric oxygen Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science that studies the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets. This multidisciplinary approach of research draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, compute ...

into the cell when it is drained.

References

External links

Landscape Machine concept, Wageningen University, the NetherlandsLiving Machine, L3C website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Living Machines Sewerage Environmental engineering Aquatic ecology Environmental soil science Pollution control technologies Systems ecologists Landscape architecture Water conservation

Examples

Living Machine System Process

See also

References

External links