The Biorock is a biological treatment plant for the treatment of smaller amounts of waste waters from residential houses and individual residential units. It is intended for the treatment of waste waters from toilets, bathrooms, kitchens and washing machines. It operates entirely naturally as it does not contain electrical or mechanical components. In comparison to the traditional septic tanks, it performs its function much more efficiently as it removes 90 percent of solid particles and bacteria from the waste water. The result is clean odourless water.
The cleaning system employed by Biorock is unique. It does not require electricity as all the work is performed by a special layer of Biorock material in the treatment plant which mimics the natural soil structure. Waste water percolates through the Biorock material and is thus treated in a completely natural manner. Micro organisms inhabit the Biorock material while waste waters flow steadily through the treatment plant. During decantation, the water needs to be oxygenated by natural or additional ventilation. Usually, it is sufficient to vent the air away through a longer vertical pipe (the chimney principle). If the construction of natural ventilation is not possible, ventilation is ensured by a smaller fan. In case the gravity drain is not possible, the treated water may be pumped to a higher level by using two smaller pumps. The fan and the pump are charged by a voltage of 12V, which can be obtained with solar cells.
The Biorock treatment plants are dug into the ground. They can be installed on non-trafficked or trafficked surfaces. The lids must not be dug in so that they can be accessed for maintenance. The plant must be fitted with a ventilation system. The air drain (chimney) must be constructed at least 5 metres above the air intake. The outflow of treated water may be directed into open waters or the underground water.