Preserving Waters Etcétera & Tal

Basic sanitation is a major global problem, which impacts nature when communities are unable to properly dispose of their effluents, leading to the contamination of rivers and groundwater. Contamination of water also poses a public health problem, affecting the same communities lacking sanitation and others to which the contamination is carried. Not being able to use contaminated water, the social problem reaches the financial dimension, forcing communities to buy bottled water. The packaging of water not taken to recycling generates yet another environmental problem, increasing the generation of solid waste.

Almost half of the population in Brazil remains without access to sewage systems, which means that almost 100 million people, or 47% of brazilians, use alternative measures to deal with waste - either through a cesspool or by dumping sewage directly into rivers. In addition, more than 16% of the population, or almost 35 million people, do not have access to treated water, and only 46% of the sewage generated in the country is treated. The lack of sanitation generated more than 40 thousand hospitalizations in Brazil just during a period of three months, data from National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) 2018.

The city of this project,  Itapecerica da Serra, is 100% into spring area. It is also located in the area designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, in the green belt around the city of São Paulo, in the remaining area of Atlantic forest. 

Inspired by permaculture practices, the project uses nature's own technology. In the bio-septic flower bed (the ecological cesspool),  banana tree plays the filtering role, as it has a high water absorption capacity (from the sewage, consumes all the organic material) and returns the water vapor to the air, generates shade, offers fruit, and captures carbon. The result is a system without effluents, as all the water is absorbed and evaporated by the plants while the solid matter (0.1% of the total volume of domestic sewage is solid waste) is transformed into inert minerals, which are food for the plants. That's how nature has always worked to clean up polluted water. The bio-septic flower bed (ecological cesspool) works as a vegetable garden, but receives water from the bottom up. But the bananas are eligible to eat, they are not contaminated in the process. Root foods are not indicated to plant, as the tubers because the directly  contact with the effluent. The appearance of earthworms and other soil organisms, such as plovers and insects is a sign that their treatment system is working very well and the soil is becoming more fertile, another positive aspect of the project.

Low-income people that live in irregularly occupied areas, where there is no sewage collection or treatment, most of the sewage will stop on the Itaquaciara River or in “capiriras tanks”,normal septic tanks full but due to overloaded use by several families using the same septic tank, it causes leaks and contamination of soil, reaching  water wells and it affects not only aquatic fauna but also public health.There is a lack of public housing policies in the region. In the past 10 years, the Itaquaciara neighborhood has seen unbridled growth.Due to cheaper rents (offered on illegal soil in the spring area). The consumption of energy in the neighborhood involves several "gatos" (an illegal practice using improper connection on the posts to steal the energy) people there live with low income.

The solution brings a cheap, easy and nature technology to deal with their sewage contributing to a more health environment, protecting waters and the ecossystem.

When we think about technology, the way to make it more accessible is by being simple and easy to replicate, not only in the environment we are in, but in other places where different populations also do not have access to sewage collection. Keeping it simple facilitates communities sustainably protect, manage, and restore their local ecosystems. That is the proposal of ecological pits using the power of nature and enabling people with this knowledge

The project has already been applied in 10 houses and a community library. And the technology has already started to multiply, people who have learned how to do it offer the service in other locations.

The simplicity of applying nature's own technology, drawing inspiration from its way of recycling systems, is innovative for bringing environmental education into practice. Empowering the community as transformers of their environments, the population exercising citizenship and feeling that they belong to the solution.
The construction of the ecological septic tank also involves the use of construction material residues.
The ecological cesspool, in addition to being a suitable destination for domestic sewage, helps in carbon capture and the fruits can be used for nutrition

Currently 50( it is more because the technology was mutiplied and used by others that we do not have a track)

Next year: more than 100 next year

And more then 1000 in five years

Thinking in numbers in our city Itapecerica da Serra.

we also need a help in this, we do not have this culture, one of the goals is to implement indicators

8 people, part-time staff

We are a multidisciplinary team formed by: journalist, environmental engineer, architect, educator, environmental scientist, builder, lawyer and citizens interested in protecting the local environment with life experience to promote this technology and contributes with the local environment to inspire other locations, keeping it simple and accessible.

50% of our team is made up of black people, 75% are women, mostly mothers who manage to adapt their working hours and collaborate with the team in terms of child care

We use a innovative, human and nature centered, simple tech solution that can solve global sanitation problems, easy to apply in different contexts. Our solution brings more than preserving waters, it helps capturing CO2 as the principal technology is the banana tree (but we can use other plants, each place can explore the native ecossystem to regenerate fauna while using natures tecnology to deal with domestic sewage

we are a team of volunteers concerned with environmental preservation in our city and also how to link solutions to social problems. Our ecological septic tanks project unites environmental education in practice, offering safety to public health, empowering citizens with knowledge that is easy to apply and has a great positive impact that, in addition to creating an adequate destination for domestic sewage, increases carbon capture, using its own technology. nature

we need to make our projects financial sustainable, we rely on donations, that is why we need to create a income flow and a business model

The Laboratory for Sustainable Business (S-Lab)