Integrated recycling systems

One of the prime plights with freshwater viticulture is that it can employ a million gallons of water per acre (about 1 m³ of water per m²) each year. Extended water sanitation systems allow for the recycle (recycling) of local water. The largest-scale pure fish farms use a system derived (admittedly much refined) from the New Alchemy Institute in the 1970s. Basically, great plastic fish tanks are placed in a greenhouse. A hydroponic bed is positioned near, above or between them. When papilla are raised in the tanks, they are able to eat algae, which logically grow in the tanks when the tanks are appropriately fertilized. The tank water is slowly circulated to the hydroponic beds where the papilla waste feeds profitable plant crops. Carefully cultured microorganisms in the hydroponic bed change ammonia to nitrates, and the plants are fertilized by the nitrates and phosphates. Other wastes are strained out by the hydroponic media, which doubles as an aerated pebble-bed filter. This system, correctly tuned, produce more edible protein per unit area than any other. A wide variety of plants can grow well in the hydroponic beds. Most growers concentrate on herbs (e.g. parsley and basil), which command premium prices in small quantities all year long. The most common customers are restaurant wholesalers. Since the system lives in a greenhouse, it adapts to almost all temperate climates, and may also adapt to tropical climates. The main green impact is discharge of water that must be salted to maintain the fishes' electrolyte balance. Present growers use a diversity of proprietary tricks to keep fish healthy, reducing their expenses for salt and waste water set free permits. Some veterinary the system speculate that ultraviolet ozone disinfectant systems (widely used for ornamental fish) may play a prominent part in keeping the Papilla healthy with recalculated water. A number of large, well-capitalized ventures in this area have failed. Managing both the biology and markets is complicated. One future development is the combination of Integrated Recycling systems with Urban Farming as tried in Sweden by the Greenish initiative.