Willow Basket Nutrient Recovery

Richard Wade

Saturday 11 June 2005

Notes on process: showing of photographs and discussion.

Richard described a black and grey water treatment system for 60 people in Spain consisting of a giant living willow “basket”.

Advantages of such a system: it will work in a small space unlike reed beds (60% volume of a reed bed is taken up with gravel), the willow forms dense roots which take up nutrients.
The willow is planted and woven into a living willow oval-shaped structure. The final structure is like a “basket within a basket”.
Richard recommends that the basket should be filled with compost made from garden prunings, leaves and bark (he did not do this in his commission – he used composted manure and wood straw - but thinks the prunings will allow the waste water to trickle down without getting stuck).
The waste water trickles down through the compost and the willow roots take up the nutrients.
Prior to trickling the waste water had been run through a septic tank.
Dimensions of the basket: 7m by 1.80m wide by 1.20m in height.
When the basket has grown too big cut it down; keep the base and weave new willow into it.

See Richard’s website on patterns for abundance: http://www.permacultureactivist.net/ – look for Spanish activists.

[Scribe: Ed Tyler]