Recycling water "Own Means"

The place where my vetiver plants grow  is virtually surrounded 

by farms and farmers that, despite any legislation on  

the disposal of nitrates, dispose of the wastewater simply discharging it in 

holes in the ground, or better in ditches. 

Given that here the irrigation water costs 150€ for 45 days 

by the single hydrant (as a result of an effective 

privatization action conducted in recent years 

in a bipartisan fashion by any government and 

by each regional authority), I have decided to proceed 

as usual with "Own Means" to dispose of some pollution 

that ends up at sea (very close to the land in question) and save 

some money which, these days, for sure, will find better use elsewere.

 

The ditch bottom  retains a good 50 cm of water 

(for a flaw of execution) until at least July, 

I therefore devised a two stages system, able to filter the suspended solids. 

The first stage consists of a gravel filter contained within a 

concrete pipe that sat abandoned for years in the nearby field;

a submerged pump draws the water through the gravel which, this way is kept free of algae and 

mucilages present in industrial quantities, 

thus denouncing the strong presence of nitrates and phosphates. 

The second stage is built with a modified pump pressure aid  with 

two check valves, a couple of fittings, and filled with quartzite to operate 

a more accurate sand filtration of water. 

The chemical quality of water of course does not change, 

the plants take advantage of the nourishment excess 

and the excess of such irrigation is released in the watertable after 

a vertical filtering operated by the plant itself.

A double goal is so achieved: intercept pollution and save money.

Not just a pretty face....