Aside from offering a spectacular view of the Central Valley and an invigorating fresh climate, Costa Rica highlands are also well known for their diary farms and of course diary products.
As one could expect from any sort of business or industry, production brings about environmental problems. As healthy and natural as a milk farm may sound, the process of cleaning the corrals ends up contaminating the ground and therefore water source.
According to a study carried out by biotechnologist David Chaves, the average 15,000 liters of waste water generated by a diary farm can be naturally and economically treated before it returns to local water sources.
Chaves stated in his research that diary farm waste waters carry particles of sugar, protein, fat and other material that makes its treatment process an expensive one. As an alternative to expensive water treatments, Chaves created an artificial wetland in a diary farm in Heredia with the farm’s waste water.
As natural wetlands, this artificial wetland saturates the ground with water giving way to chemical and physical processes that naturally purifies the water making it fit to be dumped back into the river.
Chaves not only recycles waste water from the diary farm, he also gains a second benefit from the artificial wetland. The waste water is used to grow ornamental plants thus giving the small business owners another income by selling and exporting these decorative plants.
Plants such as lilies, callas and ludwigia among others can be seen blossoming at the premises of this experimental diary farm in the mountains of Heredia in Costa Rica. The project developed by this Costa Rican biotechnologist will definitely be of great use for a number of industries for its varied benefits in the environmental, financial and aesthetic appeal.
Not only can diary farms benefit from this technique, it will also be a very helpful and productive tool for Costa Rica hotels located in remote areas and independently owned. Definitely a great way to protect the environment, bring in an extra income while adorning the grounds with colorful ornamental flower species.
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