Liquid waste management is one of the most critical—and misunderstood—parts of o -grid regenerative design. In this course, students learn how to design, install, and manage systems for treating blackwater (sewage) and greywater (used water from sinks, showers, etc.). You’ll explore code-compliant methods alongside innovative techniques for reusing water in food systems and ecological restoration. The curriculum draws from decades of Pangea Biotecture experience in New Mexico and Florida, integrating insights from health departments, environmental engineers, and grassroots builders. Whether you’re preparing a site for a permitted septic system or designing a composting toilet and greywater planter loop, this course gives you the clarity and tools to move forward responsibly.
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Course Curriculum
- Overview
- Why This System Matters
- Regulatory Context
- Overview
- The Four-Stage Water Cycle
- Overview
- Drain Pipe Slope
- Pipe Sizing and Connection
- Bathroom Plumbing Layout
- Overview
- Sizing the Planters
- Layout
- Excavation
- Lining
- Plumbing Penetrations through the Liner
- Interior Botanical Cell: Reception Box
- Exterior Botanical Cell: Pre-Treatment Reception
- Observation Stems
- Overflow Line
- Peat Moss Filter
- Filling the Planters
- Overview
- Submersible Pump Types
- Mini Recirculation Pump Solar Power Organizing Module (MRSPOM)
- gWOM and tWOM: The Organizing Modules
- Filter Maintenance
- Overview
- Reception Box
- Interior Botanical Cell
- Exterior Botanical Cell
- Pumps
- gWOM and tWOM
- Overview
- Transpiration and the Treatment Process
- Plants for a New System
- Food-Producing Plants for Established Planters
- Overview
- Growing Philosophy
- Growing Food in Suspended Hanging Buckets
- Companion Planting Guide
- Watering the Planters
- Overview
- Composting Benefits
- What to Compost and What to Avoid
- How to Compost
- Composting Methods
- Troubleshooting Compost
- Overview
- Recommended Seed Sources
- Overview
- Solar Toilet Principles
- Construction Drawing Notes
- Overview
