A SIRAR in Vallalta

A Case Study: Wastewater Reuse in Vallalta

Esther, Félix, and Biel live in a beautiful stone-and-wood house on the slopes of Montnegre. The soil is granitic sandstone, and their water supply comes from a well that isn’t very abundant. They’d been dealing with a wastewater problem for years but hadn’t been able to find a solution that balanced their Needs, Resources, and Limits. They reached out to us to find the best way to reuse wastewater in their home, which is located in Vallalta.

The main problem with that house—and the most visible one—was that untreated leachate with a high organic matter load was flowing out of the drainage pit. Unfortunately, this is a very common situation in our landscapes, even if we don’t always notice it. These are the so-called “black” pits where wastewater simply accumulates, undergoing a process of anaerobic fermentation that is often insufficient. Furthermore, they allow water that is excessively loaded with nitrates and fecal bacteria to seep into the ground. These bacteria directly contaminate our aquifers and landscapes.

From La Casa Integral we proposed the installation of a SIRAR (Comprehensive Wastewater Reuse System). This system could be combined with the irrigation of crops useful to the family, such as forage trees for Faramir (their elegant horse), fruit trees, and the creation of a social gathering space with willow trees.

The Installation of SIRAR

The family was delighted with the proposal, so we got right to work. In about five days of work , we managed to “restore” this house by installing a SIRAR system. This allowed us to manage the water and recycle nutrients. This allowed us to increase the family’s food sovereignty and social resilience, prevent soil and groundwater contamination, and eliminate unpleasant odors.

We aim to use the materials already available on the farm to “clad” the treatment modules and integrate the SIRAR into the landscape.

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Right now (in early June) is a delicate time to transplant and plant new plants in the gravel bed; with this heat, they’ll have a hard time adapting, and you may need to replace some of them. Like all living systems, it will gradually mature and become better able to absorb nutrients.

From La Casa Integral we are very happy to provide real solutions that revitalize the landscape and people’s lives

Esther de Solà (user): “We’re very pleased and happy with the work you’ve done for us, and with the vision of what the future holds for this space we care for—the place where we live.”

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