EAUTARCIE Homes

Autonomous Home in Malonne (Belgium)

Home not connected to centralized sewerage or water supply networks. Before recent ownership change, besides the original three family members, the house also accommodated a small centre for the practice of yoga. One of the two biolitter toilets was made available to the centre’s clients.

Technical data:

• Whole-house rainwater harvesting;
  
  • Roof area (measured horizontally): 120 m²;
  • Four concrete cisterns having a capacity of 5.000 litres each (total 20.000 litres = 20 m³);
  • Drinking water produced from rainwater using the AQUASAIN filtering system (Société Dellan & Co);
• Two biolitter toilets;
  
• Grey water harvesting using the Complete TRAISELECT System;
• Grey water batch reactor having a capacity of 5 m³, coupled with an uptake filtration tank (water drawn upward) laden with sand and plants. During construction in 1996, the planted trench filter was not used. Therefore, the owners installed a circulation pump with a 25-micron filter in the pond to ensure the water’s clarity.

Images

View of the home’s garden, with the grey water purification system’s constructed wetland

The four cisterns during construction

Another Home in Malonne (Belgium)

Home fully equipped with the EAUTARCIE system.

Because the house is situated in an area serviced by centralized sewerage, communal authorities ordered that the TRAISELECT system be put out of service, and the house connected to the sewers. The said sewer – in the absence of a sanitation plant – discharges its effluent into the river, without any treatment. After a lot of bureaucratic red tape, the purification system was unofficially tolerated, tentatively. One problem with the set-up: the difficulty to infiltrate the effluent into the soil due to the water table’s very close proximity to the ground (the house was built in a flood plain).

Technical data:

• Whole-house rainwater harvesting using the PLUVALOR system;
  
  • Roof area (horizontally-measured): 110 m2;
  • 15.000-litre cistern (15 m3);
• Two biolitter toilets;
  
• Grey water harvesting using the Complete TRAISELECT System;
  
  • Grey water batch reactor (for 3 people): 2 m3.
  • Planted soilbox filter: 2,5 m².
  • Constructed wetland: 8 m² (too large, prone to low water level problems from excessive evaporation during hot summer spells).

The planted soilbox filter can be seen next to the constructed wetland, after completion

City Home in Mons (Belgium)

Home not connected to centralized sewerage or water supply networks.

Technical data:

• Whole-house rainwater harvesting using the PLUVALOR system;
  
  • Roof area (horizontally-measured): 100 m2;
  • Rainwater cisterns with a total capacity of 15.300 litres (15,3 m3);
  • Drinking water produced from rainwater using the AQUASAIN filtering system;
• Two biolitter toilets (BLT’s), which’s effluent is composted in the garden;
  
  • The compost obtained is used to fertilize the vegetable garden and the orchard that cover up to 740 m².
• Grey water harvesting using the Complete TRAISELECT System;
  
  • Grey water batch reactor: 2.000 litres (2 m³);
  • Aeration tank: 300 litres;
  • Planted trench filter: 2 m²;
  • Constructed wetland: 6 m² (too large considering the quantity of grey water produced by the household).

Images

The home’s garden (or «backyard»)

The biolitter toilet (BLT)

The compost area, including the compost bin during the initial stage, and the compost heap during the curing stage

The constructed wetland harbouring fish. The water quality at the overflow of this pond complies with European standards for making drinking water

A Sculptor’s Home in Achenne (Belgium)

Home equipped with the TRAISELECT system.

Once the grey water purification system was installed, the flush toilets were replaced by BLT’s. After a few years of successful operation, the communal authorities decided to implement a sewer in the street. At that point, the owner was invited to disconnect his purification system and connect his home to the sewer. After a lot of bureaucratic red tape, the purification system was finally authorized in light of the fact it had been set up before the sewer.

Before final authorization, experts examined the system. In their report, they stated that «the water discharged at the system’s outlet does not comply with discharge standards». Upon examination of the report, it turned out that the experts had monitored the water quality at the grey water reactor’s outlet, and not the water issuing from the constructed wetland. Since both the trench filter and the wetland are watertight with respect to the soil, the ultimate outlet of the system is located at the wetland’s overflow, and not at the reactor’s overflow. The water quality issuing from the wetland’s overflow was close to potable water standards.

The planted trench filter was intentionally set up as a small decorative rivulet crossing the garden, draining to the 20-m2 artificial pond that is set at the property’s lowest point. The pond’s overflow discharges into an intermittent naturally occurring rivulet.

One incident: a light bacterial film appeared on the wetland’s surface, which’s origin has never been ascertained. After a few months, the film disappeared.

Images

BLT’s were installed after flush toilets were removed

You can see the planted trench filter (1st photo) swerving towards the constructed wetland (2nd and 3rd photos)

Camping de la Sablière Near the City of Binche (Belgium)

Camping ground with wood cottages or caravans (also called «trailers» or «RV’s=recreational vehicles»).

In the campsite’s main hall (used for meetings, parties, conferences, etc.), a faucet delivers microfiltered rainwater.

The toilet and washroom facilities include many biolitter toilets. An experiment that aimed to automate the proper dose of litter to be used ultimately failed. However, all conventional BLT’s have provided satisfactory results with the public that uses them. Litter urinals can be found in many places throughout the premises. In order to limit the use of chemical toilets by the public, the administration has clients pay for the cost of emptying such toilets. On the other hand, BLT users receive litter free of charge, and they can empty their toilet effluent on a compost heap that is easily accessible. Yet in spite of this promotion, few campers have adopted these dry toilets.

The little grey water produced by the cottages is discharged into a planted trench filter, lacking an impervious bottom. Thus, the wastewater that is filtered and treated by plants is infiltrated directly into the soil. On the other hand, grey water issuing from lavatories and showers is treated using the Complete TRAISELECT system: batch reactor, planted trench filter and wetland finishing. This pond is a highly visible decorative element at the campsite’s entrance.

Images

The constructed wetland for selective grey water treatment: as seen in April 2001 (1st photo) and in 2004 (2nd and 3rd photos)

Grey water infiltration in the ground near each cottage or caravan

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