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my future on treatment wetland systems

For several years we are developing a product that will bring an extraordinary novelty in the field of wastewater treatment and its application on a large scale. As usual, the idea is good, the industry requires, its competitors are there but our product is better, blah blah blah.
The product is based on our experience in the field of treatment wetland  and have developed a good project idea to make this system with high aesthetic value, which is applicable in many realities, both Italian and foreign, and of course with sustainable positive impact.
To continue this adventure we  search designers who want to try to produce the true aesthetic and functional innovations in the coming years (Bill Gates is investing with his Foundation a lot of dollars in sustainable sanitation); seek investors who want to invest in the water sector and of water sanitation and health care to produce wealth and good for the environment and human beings.
We do not give the indifference of native capitalists we met in the last months........ Soon we will find an open door.

Sustainable architecture in action: constructed wetland in the Gaza Strip

bouncing from site Building Green Futures an update of the TW in Gaza Strip to whom I have collaborated:


early 2012

early 2013

"These images show the growth over a 12-month span of the constructed wetland engineered by Mauro Lajo (Artecambiente) in the Kindergarden of Um Al Nasser (North part of Gaza Strip), an eco-friendly school built in 2011 by ARCO’, Mario Cucinella and the NGO Vento di Terra.

The Garden uses green plants and associated microorganisms for degradation, removal and/or reduction in the concentration of pollutants in the school’s grey waters that can thus be reused for toilet flushing and gardening. Underneath the garden lies a tank for the harvesting of rainwater. "

Building Green Futures has been following from very close the progress in the design and construction of this building, a great example of low-tech/high performance sustainable design bringing lasting benefits to people in need.

Building Green Futures (BGF) is a not-for-profit organization created by Mario Cucinella Architects to promote sustainable development through green architecture and urban regeneration. With Building Green Futures, the quality of the design work produced by MCA and its partners contributes to initiatives for social good


Using BGF as a vehicle, the resources and the experience of MCA contribute to philanthropic causes such as:

1) “Design & Build” projects in support of development programmes and humanitarian interventions;

2) Knowledge Transfer & Science Communications for dissemination of best practices on sustainable architecture and green technologies.

3) Applied Research for social innovation

a good margin of improvement...

well, welcome back from this long two weeks of holidays. I begin this 2013 with a post that explain what you must not do about a treatment wetland system. Yesterday I had lunch in a restaurant where four years ago I have design and build with a good italian company a constructed wetlands. Before sitting down at the table I went to see the system.... and the photo below show what was there. 
First of all I write you that when we finished building it we have had an idea of the local manager and we think that it wasn't the right person to manage the system. We suggent to plant some species and he has used other, we have suggested the bacis management rules and he said " I know what I have to do... ". Well, this is the result when your client is not the best.

photo 1: the inlet

 As you ccan see in the photo 1) the importance of the Artec Filtering System ( buy it at www.artecambiente.it or contact me, I can give you the details of this good solution). This wastewater came from the bath and from the kitchens. The basic design guide say that the Imhof tank and the fat-trapper must to be cleaned two time a year....but as you can see a lot of solids and other particulate arrive here in the inlet. The good role of the  filter is shown but a lot of problems are before the filter.

photo 2: the outlet

 The output shows that the wastewater has been partially treated by the wetland system, there are not solids, there are not opacity and there are not fat or foam. Well... but is is partially treated and is not a good water to be sent in a freshwater channel.

photo 3: the surface

... and the photo three shows you which is the situation above the gravel. In the beginning of the project we suggest to plant phragmites australis and iris pseudacorus .. but he chose typha (We suggest iris and phragmites because the flowering of iris is the best in this public area). After 4 years this is the result, only ten group of plants are alive. this mean that only 20% of the wetlands surface is covered by plants and only 20%  of the whole system treat the wastewater. You can image that also the treatment performace are really low. 
(no smell rise from the whole surface area, only when I opened the intet tank it smell of wastewater)

I entitled this post "a good margin of improvement...".. yes ...few operations can be done to properly manage a treatment wetlands, please do it! 
- clean the Imhof tank
- clean the fat-trapper
- use right species
-.... listen your designer..

and after the visit to the system I had wash my hand...

have a good time and happy new 2013!