Todd Ecological, Inc. - About Us - Frequently Asked Questions

F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S

We put this page together to try and answer your frequently asked questions. We hope you find this useful and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

How can Todd Ecological Design answer my questions about the cost of their systems?
As a general rule, our systems are cost competitive and less expensive to operate than conventional technologies. In some cases, particularly with high strength organic wastes, our systems are significantly less expensive than alternatives. The cost of every system we design and build is highly variable and dependent on individual site conditions. Note that natural systems such as ours are almost always the most cost-effective solution. Therefore we cannot give out quotes on projects without more careful consideration. We are happy to talk to you via telephone to get an idea of the scope of your project and talk rough numbers.
How does Todd Ecological Design work with clients?
Todd Ecological Design does not try and promote any single technology. Our palette includes a family of natural systems technologies, one or several of which will be best suited for you. First Todd Ecological Design arranges a site visit. We look at the area, collect water data, topographical information, soil information and get an idea of water flows. We will outline the design of a system that meets the clients budget, goals, and needs and develop a schematic flow diagram on the site plan. To visit your site the rates are as follows: Jonathan Todd is $1000 per day. Dr. John Todd is $2500 per day, plus expenses. Both get half rate for travel days. Once the site plan is approved we will undertake an engineering/design/build proposal, or a proposal for schematic development/feasibility study, depending on the scope of the project. Then, with approval, we move forward to construction and completion.
What are the waste water needs for the systems?
The systems can handle steady or periodic flows of wastewater, and will be designed accordingly. The treated water can be discharged conventionally, or used for irrigation, or recycled back into a building to flush toilets. Our systems work well under arid conditions or with low flush toilets.
What about permitting/code issues?
Natural systems have been permitted within many states the USA and in a number of countries. We work with experienced engineers who are well versed with our technologies and are fully certified in most states.
How large a facility does Todd Ecological Design build?
With the new "urbanist" model, neighborhoods and watersheds should be able to manage the rainwater that falls on site and the wastewater generated from the site. Todd Ecological Design is capable of providing any system size for that model or larger. We do not market to individual residential homes, preferring to work with four home sites minimum per location.
What happens after Todd Ecological Design finishes a project?
Todd Ecological Design requires an operational oversight contract for the first two years of operation. This includes an Operations and Maintenance manual, onsite training for maintenance workers, email and telephone support, and two bi-annual site visits. In more remote parts of the world we would partner with knowledgeable natural systems operators to help provide clients with operations and trouble shooting.
Where does Todd Ecological Design work?
We work in the United States, Canada, and internationally, including islands.
What are the electrical needs of the systems?
Natural systems can be designed to work completely off the grid. Most of our latest design eco machines have been ecologically sequenced to use up to 75% less electricity than their predecessors or traditional wastewater systems.
Who are our competitors?
Todd Ecological Design provides a broader and more comprehensive range of services compared to its competitors. Our philosophy includes integrated systems that can be linked to agriculture, storm water management, and watershed restoration. We have a deep commitment to the ecological integrity of our systems and to reducing their overall environmental impact. (Living Design Group, Taos, NM designs and markets high-end eco machines primarily on behalf of architectural clients. John Todd was part of the team until 2000. They hold the trademark of the term "living machine".) (Ecological Engineering Associates, Weston, MA owns the rights to John Todd's Solar Aquatic patents. They do relatively small-scale greenhouse-based waste treatment systems.)
Where can I go to actually see Eco-Machines in action in the United States and Canada?
The following is a partial listing:

E C O - M A C H I N E S

Where in the world does the Eco-Machine work best?
Eco-Machines can be designed to work almost anywhere from inside buildings to high latitudes. However, they must have adequate light for the higher plants and algae within to thrive. In some environments this lighting would need to be supplied through artificial lighting. Temperatures for most systems need to be kept above 10 degrees Celsius.
In which climates will an Eco-Machine best function?
They can be designed to function in a variety of climates. The organisms within them have to be adapted to the climate the system is in. For example, if light levels are low, then low light adapted organisms will dominate. In a bright desert environment the opposite would be the case. Ecological diversity is the key and the fact that we include representative species of all the five kingdoms of life is the reason for their functionality and success.
Do Indoor and Outdoor systems function similarly?
They employ the same basic design and include at least three ecosystem types derived from natural systems. An indoor system needs to be in a solarium and might require supplemental horticultural lighting. An outdoor system can be more spread out and part of the landscape design if desired.
Do artificial provisions need to be made in cases where location and feed-water nutrients are sub-optimal?
Just as in gardening or farming, there needs to be a balanced nutrient environment that includes minerals, including trace minerals, and the correct carbon to nitrogen ratios. Rock minerals are sometimes used. In other instances we blend different kinds of wastes to create a balanced nutrient source.
When is the best time of year to start an Eco-Machine system?
The best time obviously would be spring with greater sunlight and longer days. But any time of year will do. And you must seed the system from wild ponds, streams, marshes, et cetera with organisms that predominate in all four of the seasons. That gives your system the intelligence of the seasons.
At higher latitudes, are there seasonal adjustments that need to be made in order for the system
to run year-round?
The main thing would be temperature control. Ironically, when you get up to say 45 degrees north latitude the best plants for winter are tropical plants, as they do not go dormant during short days and low light periods. However we do not use them in areas where they might survive out of doors year round, unless it is in the tropics.
What are the advantages of indoor vs outdoor applications?
Indoor and greenhouse based systems are the best solution when you have a small physical footprint to work with. Outdoor systems, with a mix of ponds and constructed wetlands, work best where you have land available and if you are interested in keeping your energy requirements to a bare minimum."

Depending on the wastewater stream to be treated, is it better to set up an outdoor pond or find a way to keep the system in a controlled greenhouse environment (contingent on the considerations noted above)?
There are so many variables at work here. Some Eco-Machines not only treat waste, they grow commercial products such as baitfish and riparian plants. Others are used for educational purposes. In these cases the controlled greenhouse environment works best. In other cases the client wants a system that runs itself and in that case we design a gravity based, low energy and low maintenance system. The client and location determines the strategy.
How effective is this system at removing heavy metals from the environment, and what happens to the heavy metals once removed?
You have to design your Eco-Machine to specifically remove and recover metals. Most systems only remove a moderate percentage of the metals. We can however design systems specifically for the removal and recovery of metals. To do so we usually employ an algae-based system that can be harvested.
How about radionuclides, organophosphates, complex and simple organic compounds and waters
laden with bacteria.
Answer: That is asking four questions that are separate from a design point of view. We do not know a lot about sequestering radioactive materials and we have no experience with them. But in theory at least it might be possible to park them in dense materials and by doing so lessen their negative impact on the environment. As for organophosphate removal, there are two basic pathways; one is uptake into organisms themselves and then the organisms, such as fish or flowers, are removed from the system. The other method is adsorption onto surfaces such as clay-based materials or an iron rich media. If designed correctly the removed phosphorus can be removed and reused in a landscape or agricultural setting. If your Eco-Machine discharges into an area with extremely low phosphorus limits (< 0.5 mg/l) then additional chemical removal methods may be necessary. Simple organic compounds will be utilized by many of the nutrient pathways within, especially by the fungal and bacterial communities. As for the removal of pathogenic bacteria there are many pathways and environments within the Eco-Machine to get rid of them. The oxygen rich cells host large populations of protozoa. Protozoa eat the pathogens. We also introduce plants into the system, such as aquatic mints, that produce powerful antibiotics that also kill pathogens. The key is to have enough retention time for these processes to work fully.

How widespread is this technology? International, domestic, public, private and research sectors. Is there some in each? More in the US or off-shore? Concentrated in brown-fields, at industrial locations, etc.?
Answer: We have designed and built Eco-Machines of various kinds in Europe, Australia, the US and Canada, Brazil, China and Australia since beginning in1986. The furthest north are in Scotland and Sweden. The furthest south is in Wyong, Australia. Our clients have been companies, especially food, brewery and cosmetic companies, universities and colleges, green developers and environmentally sensitive resorts, and destinations such as the Audubon Society's park at Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida. Most towns and cities are a harder sell. Town engineers are mostly wedded to conventional chemical and energy intensive technologies and only rarely do we get past that barrier. But we are working on it.