Solution to Pollution
(Page 5 of 5)
May/June 1970
By the Mother Earth News editors
Finally, after 37 years, that day may not be too far away. Ecology movement people and other honest folks are beginning to demand just such action. The sanitation authorities of several cities are also starting to realize that Milwaukee, Wisconsin has found a ready market for its Milorganite (made from sewage sludge) all over the country. In San Diego County, a Dr. Groth has developed enough gas from hog manure to electrify his property and run a tractor.
I have been asked if the Howard system can be adapted for use by, say, a 50 to 100 member commune located in a region remote from outside power sources. The answer is yes.
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Fifty to 100 people will mean about five thousand gallons of water and 100 pounds of sewage and garbage sludge per day. This calls for three tanks, each approximately 10 X 10 X 10 feet, kept at a temperature of 85° Fahrenheit.
It should be noted that the extent to which the effluent is purified depends on the capacity of the tanks in relation to the volume of waste that flows through them. There must be time, in other words, for the solids to settle in the tanks. At a temperature of 85° F, about 72 hours are required for this process. The tanks, then, must be large enough to hold at least three days' sewage.
After the initial 72 hours, during which the anaerobic bacteria do their job, all future action - which we term reclamation - is spontaneous. The natural process of bacteria action will devour the garbage as fast as it flows into the plant . . . just as every septic tank does. The effluent from the third tank will be clear enough for irrigation. Additional tanks can be built as population increases.
This plant will produce about 500 cubic feet of gas per day with 650 British Thermal Units per cubic foot. The gas can be piped anywhere since it is natural gas. The only caution is that you must not breath it as it can kill you.
One further caution about the water - or effluent - that flows from the plant: Anaerobic bacteria are not miracle workers. They, like aerobic bacteria, cannot digest nonbiodegradable compounds. If you flush detergents into your plant, they'll come right out the other side in the discharge water. Such water will ruin a boiler as the detergents leave an alkali buildup.
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