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| The history of Wastewater Gardens® |
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| Dr. Mark Nelson
working in collaboration with the Planetary Coral Reef
Foundation (PCRF U.S.) and the eminent systems ecologist,
Prof. H.T. Odum of the Center for Wetlands at the University
of Florida, developed this innovative approach to wastewater
treatment. |
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| Wastewater Gardens® were used in the world’s
first laboratory for global ecology, Biosphere
2, a 1.2 hectare (3.15 acre) materially closed facility
near Tucson, Arizona. There working with scientists from
NASA, constructed wetlands were developed for the Biosphere
2 Test Module in 1987, and for the closure experiments
in Biosphere 2 from 1991-1994.
Dr. Mark Nelson, one of the pioneers of Wastewater
Gardens® was a member of the eight person “biospherian”
crew for the first two year closure experiment, in 1991-1993.
During this period, in the enclosed systems of Biosphere
2, Dr. Nelson was able to conduct intensive research
on the effectiveness of the systems.
Detailed research was then conducted on the Wastewater
Gardens® systems constructed along the coast of
the Yucatan, in southeastern Mexico, and the results
critically checked by University of Florida scientists.
These Wastewater Gardens® systems prevented pollution
damage to off-shore coral reefs, using 3-4 square meters
of wetland per full-time resident. |
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| Subsurface flow wetlands have
been reviewed and approved by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency and by many European regulatory bodies.
Tens of thousands of constructed wetlands have now been
built all over the world. |
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Today, there are more than a hundred and fifty Wastewater
Gardens® in the United States, Mexico, Belize, the
Bahamas, Poland, France, the Philippines, Indonesia
and Australia. Wastewater Gardens® advanced design,
raises artificial wetlands to a complete system that
has been extensively tested and successfully applied
over the past several decades worldwide.
Wastewater Gardens® owners have expressed great
satisfaction with the quality of the water effluent,
the beauty of the Wastewater Gardens® and the simplicity
of maintenance of the system. |
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| ©2004 Wastewater Gardens® PCRF • www.pcrf.org
• Indonesia Rep. Yayasan IDEP : www.idepfoundation.org |
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