Eco-Machines are essentially tank-based wetland technologies serving as secondary and tertiary treatment systems. The driving engine for treatment is the wetland ecology occurring within the various substrates. What makes these systems different than constructed wetlands is that they are designed for placement in urban settings or where land cost is at a premium. In effect, the tank-based strategy allows for treatment to occur vertically where wastewater is recycled multiple times within the wetland treatment cells before discharge to maximize the treatment process within each tank. This process does require external energy, although typically still considerably less than conventional treatment systems, but the trade off is a smaller land footprint. Often Eco-Machines are coupled with constructed wetland treatment systems to achieve the benefits of both systems and can be operated on renewable energy sources. Eco-machines maintain all the other benefits of constructed wetland in that they are aesthetically pleasing, minimize odor, can produce commercially viable byproducts and have educational and outreach potential

Roth Ecological Design International