It is also a natural water treatment plant, but not an ordinary one—it is also a learning center, and an example of environmentally sound architecture. OCSL officially opened on July 16.
Inside its 4,500-square-foot greenhouse is the Eco-Machine, OCSL’s water-reclamation system. In four stages the Eco-Machine purifies wastewater from Omega’s whole campus. The system “mimics the natural and ancient processes of the earth,” said Chrissa Pullicino of Omega.
This cathedral of modern sustainability presides over the Campus of the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies; a nonprofit educational retreat center dedicated to “awakening the best in the human spirit,” according to the Omega Web site.
“The OCSL demonstrates the critical intersection of environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and the new green economy,” said Skip Backus, chief executive officer at Omega in a press release.
Water Treatment
The four-step water treatment at Omega is quite impressive. First, the wastewater flows into two anaerobic tanks where microbes begin to digest the heavy sludge which settles at the bottom.
The water then flows into one of four wetlands the size of basketball courts. Here the water is clarified when particles in the water attach to roots of aquatic plants. The roots also help to remove nitrates from the water.
Next the water flows into a 5,000 gallon tank where it is pumped into one of two open tanks called aerated lagoons. Each lagoon has four sections or cells, where a host of plants, fungi, algae, bacteria, fish, snails, and other organisms further clean the water.
The final step of the water purification process is a recirculating sand filter. The water flows through a four foot thick layer of sand where microorganisms living in the sand remove more nitrogen, organic matter and particulates. Now the water is clean and ready for non-potable use.
The water is then released into a dispersal field under the OCSL’s parking lot.
Eventually, the Omega Institute hopes to use the water to irrigate its gardens, flush toilets, and maintain an outdoor water garden.
The cost of the OCSL was around $3.2 million, 35 to 40 percent more than a traditional building, but it will pay for itself later, said Pullicino, because it is "virtually cost free, except for maintenance."
The building is on track to receive a LEED Platinum Certification, which cannot be officially granted until the building has been in operation for a year. LEED, (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is designed by the U.S. Green Building Council which has created standards for sustainable design.
OCSL is also the first building in the U.S. be designated a Living Building. For a building to qualify as Living, its site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty must meet certain criteria. According to the Omega Web site, a Living Building must, “Be informed by their eco-region's characteristics; generate all of their own energy with renewable resources; capture and treat all of their water; operate efficiently; and be designed for maximum beauty.”
