I am currently looking into ways to filter rainwater to potable standards using vegetation for a "make believe" design project I am busying myself with after hours. The site is in Mumbai/Dharavi which (from what I understand) is arid in the dry season and deals with incredible monsoons in the rainy season. My goal to use vegetation derives from simplicity and low cost to maintain. I've read up on wetland ideas but was wondering if something could be realized at a smaller "building rooftop" type scale... I wont stop looking around, just was wondering if you peoples had any ideas. gracias.
there is lots of info available on treatment wetland if you just look. A design guideline is for every gallon to be treated, you need 1 sf of surface area. Typical treatment time is about 5 days. For arid/cold bioregions, subsurface flow wetlands reduce evaporation and work during freezing weather.
There are a few rooftop wetlands out there - rana creek did some on renzo's the california science institute.
but how much info do you need for a make believe project? it's not like you need to spec plant lists, water quality standards, membrane materials or care about structural conditions...
treatment wetlands require fairly intensive cultivation the first year or two till the plants/biofilms are established and stabilized.
And treekiller you are correct, for "make believe" I think I should need to clarify the type of system and perhaps find some examples and then just go with it. Thanks everyone for the help
I'd be interested to see a system that relies only on vegetation to achieve potable water. Is that possible? Or does it depend on differing local standards of "potability"?
Actually there is a project on Martha Vineyard which uses Vegitation for filtration of water. It is a tribal headquarters building as I recall.
It has been in operation for about ten years. So go do some googling.....Those East Coast Indian names can be a devil though.
what is your fascination with 'only vegitation'? that is a very arbitrary constraint that disregards the ecology of how a wetland purifies water. you can also specify a reverse osmosis filter and forget about the 'plants'.
I just chose vegetation was a something to expand upon or that I could delve further into. There's no reason why I couldn't use those other things, I just thought a "garden" would make a better roof top experience than tubes/filters and tanks...
Typically plant only systems will only reach a secondary level of "clean" leaving microbes and bacteria (some good, some bad). You usually need something to kill or eat the bad guys, such as a solar still, in order to reach the truly potable range. I designed a system that uses plants and the solar still for a competition, patent pending...
Sep 10, 08 12:33 pm ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
Water filtration using vegetation...
I am currently looking into ways to filter rainwater to potable standards using vegetation for a "make believe" design project I am busying myself with after hours. The site is in Mumbai/Dharavi which (from what I understand) is arid in the dry season and deals with incredible monsoons in the rainy season. My goal to use vegetation derives from simplicity and low cost to maintain. I've read up on wetland ideas but was wondering if something could be realized at a smaller "building rooftop" type scale... I wont stop looking around, just was wondering if you peoples had any ideas. gracias.
works very well
what sort of ideas? you mean examples of how it is done on existing projects?
How about a Living Machine?
there is lots of info available on treatment wetland if you just look. A design guideline is for every gallon to be treated, you need 1 sf of surface area. Typical treatment time is about 5 days. For arid/cold bioregions, subsurface flow wetlands reduce evaporation and work during freezing weather.
There are a few rooftop wetlands out there - rana creek did some on renzo's the california science institute.
but how much info do you need for a make believe project? it's not like you need to spec plant lists, water quality standards, membrane materials or care about structural conditions...
treatment wetlands require fairly intensive cultivation the first year or two till the plants/biofilms are established and stabilized.
you're right, should clarify. I'd love to see some examples if at all possible.
And treekiller you are correct, for "make believe" I think I should need to clarify the type of system and perhaps find some examples and then just go with it. Thanks everyone for the help
I'd be interested to see a system that relies only on vegetation to achieve potable water. Is that possible? Or does it depend on differing local standards of "potability"?
Actually there is a project on Martha Vineyard which uses Vegitation for filtration of water. It is a tribal headquarters building as I recall.
It has been in operation for about ten years. So go do some googling.....Those East Coast Indian names can be a devil though.
did a little google for you....this is the project..
http://eere.buildinggreen.com/overview.cfm?projectid=107
what is your fascination with 'only vegitation'? that is a very arbitrary constraint that disregards the ecology of how a wetland purifies water. you can also specify a reverse osmosis filter and forget about the 'plants'.
(but you'd have to wait until August to drink it)
I just chose vegetation was a something to expand upon or that I could delve further into. There's no reason why I couldn't use those other things, I just thought a "garden" would make a better roof top experience than tubes/filters and tanks...
Typically plant only systems will only reach a secondary level of "clean" leaving microbes and bacteria (some good, some bad). You usually need something to kill or eat the bad guys, such as a solar still, in order to reach the truly potable range. I designed a system that uses plants and the solar still for a competition, patent pending...
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.