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The Solar Aquatics System, or SAS, treats effluent to advanced secondary and tertiary standards through a series of aerated translucent tanks that host plant communities and aerobic microorganisms.
SAS duplicates and optimizes the natural water purification processes of freshwater wetlands. Wastewater is circulated inside a greenhouse through a series of clear tanks, each with its own aquatic ecosystem, and marshes. In this treatment process, sunlight, oxygen, bacteria, algae, plants, snails and fish work together to purify the water. SAS uses aeration and mixing in the tanks to prevent sludge from settling. This enhances degradation of solids and results in fewer solids than conventional wastewater systems.
The super-clean effluent from these systems can be used for irrigation or groundwater recharging or disinfected and used to flush toilets.
Solar Aquatics Systems are in use throughout the world, particularly for attractive super-cleaning and publicly viewable wastewater systems, such as in tourable industrial facilities and educational institutions. Solar Aquatics Systems offer a treatment process that produces high-quality water at a low cost.
The Natural System Advantage
Solar Aquatics Systems replicate and optimize natural wetlands processes to treat wastewater. Unlike mechanical treatment processes, these systems are complex, dynamic, self-organizing, and resilient, so they can adapt to changing effluent quality better than mechanical/chemical systems.
Natural systems appeal to the public, because they treat waste in a way that is in keeping with the high value many cultures and communities place on ecological integrity.
Wastewater Treatment, Recycling And Reuse
Solar Aquatics Systems can treat effluent to be used for:
- irrigation of plants, both indoor planters and exterior landscapes
- flushing toilets
- groundwater recharge
A Beautiful Amenity
With their arboretum-like abundance of plants, Solar Aquatics are often chosen when a super-cleaning wastewater treatment system is called for. Communities appreciate that a Solar Aquatics System is attractive–a good neighbor that fits into nearly any site without odors or unsightly equipment.
Modular—Grows with Your Needs
Their discreet enclosed components allow Solar Aquatics Systems to be easily expanded to manage increased capacity or stronger effluents.
Growing clean water with Solar Aquatics Systems offers:
- an attractive asset to a property or community
- effective, adaptive and easily expanded treatment
- an educational tool for teaching lessons in applied practical biology Solar Aquatics Systems are at work worldwide.