EAUTARCIE

How to Become Independent of Public Water Supply and Wastewater Networks

Prospects on Keeping Climate Change in Check

The Objectives Behind EAUTARCIE

To get an overview of EAUTARCIE’s Guiding Principles, click here.

The EAUTARCIE system constitutes a set of techniques for sustainable water management, not only at an individual scale, but also worldwide.

EAUTARCIE’s originality lies in a philosophical approach that could be called « biocentric », as opposed to the dominant « anthropocentric » one. Instead of placing humanity at the centre of the universe, we take a more modest stand that consists in considering humanity as a part of a greater whole, the biosphere. Since humans are part of the biosphere, humanity’s future will benefit from all efforts made to uphold and restore the biosphere.

When examining the various proposals contained within this website, the reader will discover that the way to keeping climate change in check also inescapably involves the concomitant management of water and biomass. Ultimately, the elimination of water problems worldwide is the natural by-product of this approach. The implementation of a global water/biomass management program depends on political and economical decision-makers. Some will say that individuals have very little say in the matter. In reality, everyone can induce a dynamic to change, even with modest household systems. A slogan of Friends of the Earth says that « great achievements are the sum of millions of small actions ».

Our first goal was initially to provide information to those who have the power to decide of the outcome of our beautiful blue planet. Years of unsuccessful lobbying have shown us that political and financial decision-makers have their limitations. We must count on an enlightened public opinion to get decision-makers moving and acknowledging truly innovative ideas. Thus the EAUTARCIE group decided to inform the public (our readers) on practical, down-to-earth solutions to bring us to a more life-sustainable world. One can only hope that technical advisors who counsel decision-makers will come to understand our approach and suggest its implementation. Needless to say we have no illusions on this.

With all the environmental gloom and doom that is spread around by the media, EAUTARCIE aspires to provide solutions of hope. Beyond the growing inventory of environmental problems, it is distressing to observe the absence of concrete solutions to our dilemma. We hereby proclaim: humanity can shift away from the present destructive course. A new path is set, but it is time to make the correct decisions, on a global scale and at individual levels.

As mentioned above, the spearhead for change lies in the hands of those enlightened individuals from the public. This spearhead is a key purpose of EAUTARCIE’s practical components. What is wonderful with the solutions herein proposed is that they do not put in question our modern comforts, and they are simpler, more reliable and less expensive than current mandatory techniques. They also provide better health safeguards. However, they have a « major drawback »: they question centralized management of systems controlled by monopolies, and are less profitable techniques for those industries that depend on pollution remediation. Furthermore, decision-makers may be tempted to control water as a commodity and a means of blackmail to increase their power. It should be noted that current legislation worldwide is the key obstacle to alternative techniques as it imposes environmentally-destructive solutions, more specifically the destruction of biomass. In fact, most techniques propounded on the EAUTARCIE website are shrugged off as marginal, or even prohibited.

It is urgent to stop such techniques as the massive destruction of the biomass contained in our urban wastewater, the valorization of biomass for energy production (wood pellets, biomethane, biofuels, etc.) and speculation-based agricultural production.

The techniques proposed herein, like rainwater harvesting for whole-house reuse (such as the PLUVALOR system) can be set up in any home, whereas others, like whole-house greywater recycling must be adapted to each situation (rural, suburban or urban areas). In a future we hope is not too far off, entire city neighbourhoods will be built with respect to EAUTARCIE system principles. It can easily be shown that by integrating sustainable water management, such neighbourhoods will cease to pollute water and will have little impact on our water reserves. Up to now, the few attempts that have been made in this direction by individuals and groups of individuals have been categorically refused by regulating authorities. Even for small-scale experimental projects.

Our techniques are the result of 20 years of scientific university research, field-tested in Europe and Africa, and the contribution of the day-to-day experience of EAUTARCIE correspondents, with solutions that tend towards greater simplicity, lesser cost , and better environmental performance.

This website's purpose is to inform, without any commercial pretence.

What You Can Expect from EAUTARCIE

If your home's horizontal roof area exceeds 30 to 40 m² per occupant, you can expect:

To become independent of the public water supply network. (For roofs that are too small, one will have to make choices on what water is used where in the home.)

Plus, you can:

Have at your disposal naturally mild freshwater for all domestic uses, at a cost varying between 0,50 and 1,00 € per cubic meter (1 cubic meter=1000 litres), when considering amortization of the initial set-up.

Get high-quality drinking water that is comparable to the best bottled mineral water sold on the market, at a cost between 0,02 and 0,08 € a litre.

Get high-quality compost to regenerate the soil of your garden. This compost will absorb all your garden and kitchen waste, thus reducing the volume of your household garbage for municipal pick-up, by 40%.

Finally, you can count on:

Recycling all of your household wastewater in the home’s garden.

Recycling your soapy greywater by watering plants in summer, without prior treatment or health risk. (In winter and during the rainy season, this wastewater can simply be infiltrated into the soil.) [3].

Saving from 500 to 3 000 € on your household wastewater treatment system (e.g. septic tank and leach field) when the home is not serviced by a centralized sewerage network).

Having a clear conscience with respect to future generations.

By applying EAUTARCIE, your home will have little impact on the site : no water will be taken up from water reserves and no water will be polluted by the home. The water that falls on your roof will be restored to the soil in a state that is close to that of potable water. Finally, you will be restoring the nitrogen and phosphorus from your dejecta back into the food production cycle.

Whom Does this Website Concern?

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