>>> Posting number 38, dated 1 Jun 1998 14:03:30
Subject:      Living Machines in UK
From:   Alex Walker <awalker@FINDHORN.ORG>

Jacky Foo commented
>Personally I feel that a soak away is a poor solution eventhough it may be a cheap one.
>
>I failed to locate anything associated with Findhorn in my atlas that I
>have at home and so I dont know the geographic location and background.

Its on  the coast between Inverness and Aberdeen - the nearest town is Forres.

>Since it is the same latitude as southern Sweden, it probably will have the same climate.

Warmer winters, cooler summers - a much less continental climate

>Is fresh water a valuable commodity at Findhorn Bay ?

Not really.

>What are the primary food production activities of the eco-village ?

Organic vegetable growing, although there is also now an organic milk, eggs and goats cheese farm.

>I think if you draw an input output flow diagram for the various activities
>of the community, you may be able to identify uses for the effluent.
>Alternatively, the space of the greenhouse for the LM could be used more
>efficiently to contain both wastewater treatment and food production activities.

You can grow flowers no problem, but food would be problematic from a health and safety point of view....

>Ultimately there is a need for a "sink" for the water; could this be canals for fish cultivation ?

Again, you couldn't eat the fish without UV treatment in case  they became contaminated with a virus. Also,  the community is largely vegetarian. The ultimate aim is to use the water for irrigation.



 Source: Internet Conference on Integrated Bio-Systems, 1998.
Eds: E.L. Foo & T. Della Senta.
http://www.ias.unu.edu/proceedings/icibs/todd