At a Glance
Community wastewater collection, treatment, and reuse system coincides with the environmental goals of a model for the future of balanced development.
Project Description
Serenbe is an award winning agrihood community located 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The 1,000-acre community includes 3 hamlets that contain private homes for over 800 people, galleries, shops, restaurants, stables, a 25-acre certified organic and biodynamic farm, and a 28-room inn with conference facilities. Serenbe’s land plan lays out a creative, mixed-use walkable community, while preserving at least 70% of its acreage — typical developments disturb nearly 80%.
Biohabitats designed and permitted a phased community wastewater collection, treatment, and reuse/dispersal systems that supports the development’s environmental stewardship goals. A small diameter collection system minimizes construction impact and damage to the environment by following the site’s topography and staying within the roadways. The systems consist of primary treatment (septic tanks at each home or cluster of homes), subsurface flow constructed wetlands, recirculating trickle filters (sand and Bioclere™), and land application dispersal (drip irrigation and chambered). The current permitted system processes 80,000 gallons per day.
Biohabitats maintains contracts with Serenbe to advise on water infrastructure operations and future expansion. Biohabitats technical staff hosts biweekly calls with owners and subcontractors to optimize water infrastructure performance and trouble shoot operational issues. We periodically perform onsite systems assessments and help Serenbe plan for annual capital expenditures and operations and maintenance activities.