Catharina and Henrik Westermark live in Southern Sipoo, right at the shore of Suomenlahti. Catharina’s and Henrik’s house, as well as their daughter’s house, are located in the same yard area in a sparsely populated area, which the municipal water supply network does not reach. They use Jätevesiliike Vestelli’s Bioreactors for treating greywater.
Catharina and Henrik are now retired, but both of them are qualified biologists. They moved to their current residence in Southern Sipoo in 1977. Catharina’s grandparents had previously, since the 1920s, held a small commercial garden in the yard area. The plot’s borders reach all the way to Suomenlahti.
– In 2013, we began to plan the construction of Ålvsby house. At the same time, we considered different options for the treatment of contaminated waters. We did not want to send contaminated waters to Viikki, where they would still eventually end up in the sea. We first thought we’d look for a turnkey solution, where these problems could be solved here on-site, reminisces Catharina.
– The old system of our own house no longer met the requirements of new legislation. We didn’t find it sufficiently good, anyway. We needed a solution that was easy to live with, and that it would just work, she continues.
Easy and effortless method to treat greywater
Catharina and Henrik researched and compared the different options in detal, both on the Finnish and Swedish markets. They did not, however, find a solution that would treat all water, so they decided to separate greywater and blackwater. Out of the greywater treatment plants, the Bioreactor was the only one in which the water running from the container was so clean that is could be poured straight in to the environment. The Bioreactor is also easy to install, because it does not need extra anchoring.
– There were several different solutions that were rather interesting, but almost all of them required the replacement or renewal of post-treatment. This creates a lot more costs and work retrospectively, than this solution by Vestelli, concludes Catharina.
-The Bioreactor does not need any filtration mass or anything equivalent, it works completely without such material, summarises Henrik.
“In this situation, Vestelli is the best possible solution”
Catharina and Henrik have so far acquired a total of four Bioreactors from Jätevesiliike Vestelli: three to Southern Sipoo, and one to Helsinki to Catharina’s past parents’ home. The Bioreactors are now responsible for the treatment of all greywater. A separate sealed container is in use for blackwater, and there is also an eco-toilet in the yard area.
– The Bioreactors have worked just as we had expected them to work. They are very reliable, and they achieve a good treatment result. And they don’t make any noise, state Henrik and Catharina.
– We have been satisfied to the extent that I am happy to recommend Bioreactors and Jätevesiliike Vestelli.
I think this is the best possible solution in this situation, says Catharina.