Due to Morocco’s dry climate, there is often a shortage of water. To help mitigate water loss, the InterHouse aims to treat blackwater from the dishwasher, kitchen sink, and toilet. The water will be treated using a constructed wetland. This constructed wetland consists of a basin filled with a gradient of rock sizes and is home to wetland plants such as cattails and reeds. There is also a presence of bacteria, which will break down toxins, nutrients, and pathogens in the water that can then be removed by the roots of wetland plants. This water becomes clean enough that it can be discharged into nature. Or, with a little more cleaning through our gray water system’s UV filter, can be used to as water for plants surrounding the house.
Constructed wetlands are a great benefit as they help keep the environment healthy, provide an attractive landscape, and allow wastewater to be reused for landscaping and crop irrigation.
Wastewater from the house drains into a separation tank, where strainers and gravity remove and separate the solids from the water. This water is then pumped to the constructed wetland where it undergoes primary treatment. This treatment takes around two days, after which the water is pumped to the pre-filter gray water tank where it waits to undergo secondary treatment through gray water system’s UV filter. After this, the water can be used to irrigate the landscaping plants, or the house’s herb garden.