Monday, January 26, 2009

It Is Amazing What One Sees On the Road

This morning while on the way to work I got behind a white van and normally this would not be a special occasion however this truck had the words “Sustainable Wastewater Treatment” emblazoned on the back. As we both pulled up to a light I quickly jotted down the website in my day planner and made a mental note to do some research upon returning home. The name of the company is Clivus New England, they are based out of North Andover, MA and upon reviewing their website I found that not only do they handle residential but commercial wastewater solutions as well.

Clivus offers services in the way of design, permitting and installation, as well as maintenance of both self-contained composting toilets and separate greywater systems. One of their claims on the website is that a client can eliminate nitrogen pollution as well as sewage altogether. Through their greywater system, waste water from sinks, bath tubs, dishwashers and washing machines is captured in a PVC piping system, cycled through a filtration unit and fed into a recycling system outside the home; much like a septic system but without the addition of sewage. Their composting toilet system resides in the basement of the home and all toilets can be attached to the composter through PVC piping. A non-invasive pipe allows for ventilation out through the roof of the home.

The website offers limited information on the exact specifications of each system but it is apparent that this is due in part to the company’s ability to go with the flow of each individual installation (no pun intended). There are sectional diagrams available to get a feel for how the systems work and a contact page to get in touch when the client is ready for their install. They have serviced residences in wooded areas as well as big boys like McDonalds and it appears a good number of clients in between. Although Clivus is located here in Massachusetts I would wager that companies such as this will be springing up nationwide so for those in the market of a new wastewater system, or those looking to renovate an old home with a septic system, I strongly encourage looking into this or another similar company because as we all know, every little bit helps.

2 comments:

T.Allen said...

Wow, that is really interesting. I'm sure I've heard of this on a large commercial scale, but never at the residential level-good stuff.

Dave King said...

Certainly could do with more publicity - good on you for doing your bit.