Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Living Machine is an ecological sewage treatment system. It is the most attractive sewage works in Europe. The waste water is treated in a greenhouse, where the profusion of plant life is the most visible sign of the ecologies created in the treatment process. Diverse communities of bacteria, algae, micro-organisms, numerous species of plants and trees, snails fish and other living creatures interact in the tanks to create an attractive environment and cleanse the water. The effluent takes four and a half days to pass from the first tank to the last.

The final water is drinkable (but does not pass UK requirements) and is then soaked away into the sand dunes of the Findhorn Estuary. This is the view from the end of the process. Mint and bamboo play important roles in the purification of the water. In the plastic container (on the table in the image) is a working small-scale mini-version of the treatment process.