#reedbedsewerage

[organicfarmfamily]

Sustainable Reed Beds 🌿🍀🌿🍀🌿🍀

Let's talk waste..........

Our happy, healthy life seekers 🤗 blog today is focused on an amazing biodiverse system......reed beds 🌿🍀🌿🍀

Reed Beds have been used for centuries internationally and are once again becoming ever popular in our quest for a sustainable independent living life free of the global elite shackles, whoop whoop 🎉🤗🙌🎉

Essentially a reed bed filters waste from the home and garden allowing for an outflow of water pure enough to flow back onto your land. 💧👩🏼‍🌾

Horizontal Reed Bed Tertiary Treatment System 🍀💧🌿💧

A system comprises of horizontal modules constructed from GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) which is filled with granular material along with planted reeds. This system provides the hydraulic flow path and environment to achieve improved effluent quality.

A 6 person unit comprises of two GRP units and a 12 person unit comprises of four GRP modules.

Each prefabricated GRP module measures 2.5m x 0.8m x 0.8m depth. The modules are connected in a series with pipes to maximise the flow path in order to achieve optimal performance in the effluent filtered outflow.

Installation is fairly simple, each module simply needs installing level with the ground with a suitable backfill and filled internally with washed media such as granular granite, shingle or broken stone. Granite is the preferred option due to its incredible natural filtration abilities. Such media needs to be 16-32mm in individual size.

Each module requires a 100mm fall between one another and, if used in conjunction with a cesspit, ideally installed 2m in distance away from the cesspit.

Little maintenance is required within the first 2-3 years. The reeds will die back in the winter months but come spring will produce new healthy growth. Every 2-3 years the reeds may require thinning out and every 4-5 years some of the gravel media may need removing and replacing due to silt.

Effluent from the home or garden enters at the start of the first module and exits out of the last module via interconnected pipes.

The reed bed will remain full of water at all times and there will be a sub surface flow below the surface of the gravel media of apx 25-50mm.

The reed beds are low in oxygen levels and will reduce nitrates within the effluent converting the nitrogenous compounds into free nitrogen gas which escapes into the atmosphere.

If the reed bed receives strong effluents with high levels of suspended solids it will block up rapidly and the granular media will require replacement.

Such systems may smell and are best designed and used for effluents with an organic loading which, at best, is 60mg/l for BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand). In essence this requires household products used and waste flowing into sewerage to be of an organic nature, this includes, toilet papers, cleaning products, bathing products and those foodstuffs consumed by the household occupants. Keep it organic, clean and non toxic, if such principles are followed, the system life expectancy is up to 15 years 🍀🤗🌿🙌🍀🤗🍀

Vertical Reed Bed Tertiary Treatment System 🍀💧🌿💧

A vertical reed bed system is aerobic, the effluent is dosed periodically and uniformly over the surface of the bed via a network of pipes. Effluent percolates vertically down through the media ultimately being collected within drainage pipes at the bottom of the bed which discharge to the next reed bed in a series or alternatively discharging into a watercourse or pond.

Slightly different in operation as the bed remains dry until the next dose is applied and there is no smell due to the aerobic nature, thereby eliminating smell as opposed to producing it and the life expectancy of such a system is indefinitely. 🌿🤗🍀🙌🌿🤗🍀

Forced reed bed aeration 💧

Forced aeration may be used with either horizontal or vertical systems.

The reed bed is fitted with a series of air pipes along the bottom of the bed and air is bubbled up through the media.

In the vertical flow system the media is fully submerged and saturated with oxygen.

Such aeration greatly improves the treatment capability of both types of reed bed 🙌💧

Cesspit / composting toilet options 🚽🚾💧

Reed Beds can be used in conjunction with a cesspit waste system. The cesspit would be responsible for the collection of toilet waste whilst the reeds beds would deal with the waste from sinks, baths and showers. Throughout the world there's differing thoughts on systems, in the UK toilet waste is prohibited from entering the reed bed even though international studies, particularly in India, have clearly shown the bed is quite capable of filtering such waste.

An alternative to combining reed bed filtration with a cesspit would be to install composting toilets, whereby nothing enters the sewerage system or an incineration toilet, this would negate any requirement for a cesspit.......more to come on such toilets in future blogs 🚽🚾🚽🚾

What is absolutely certain, great care must be taken when installing such systems, severe harm to health, both human and nature, can occur if systems are not designed, installed and maintained correctly. Ongoing reviewing and testing of effluent outflow is essential to ensure no harm comes to you or your beautiful surroundings flora 🌸🌻🌼 and fauna 🦋🦆🐓🐦

We greatly advise on seeking expertise for your installation 🍀🌿🍀🌿🍀

As always happy, healthy, life seekers 🤗 if you have any questions or require further detailed guidance and expertise we would love to chat via our email: theorganicfarmfamily@gmail.com

Much love,

TOFF 🤗🌿x

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