OCSL Brochure

omegacenter for sustainableliving

Where Nature Meets Know-How

The Future of Water

As climate challenges grow, so does the need for real solutions that restore our planet and our communities. At Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, we believe that regenerating the environment begins with reimagining our relationship to it.

In 2009, Omega faced a challenge: Our aging septic system needed replacing. But instead of installing a standard system, we saw an opportunity—to reimagine water not as waste, but as a precious resource.

On the grounds of our Hudson Valley campus in Rhinebeck, New York, the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) brings this vision to life. Home to the Eco Machine™—a natural water reclamation system that treats wastewater without chemicals—the OCSL illustrates how we can meet human needs while honoring our interdependence with the earth.

We envisioned a new kind of water reclamation system that would be chemical-free, consume minimal energy, and offer powerful educational opportunities. Working with environmental thought leaders, we chose to build an Eco Machine™— a natural system that mimics wetlands to clean water without chemicals.

Through regenerative design, education, and community engagement, the OCSL empowers people to take meaningful action.

Its reach extends from our campus to the global stage, with active participation in United Nations climate conferences.

To house it, we created the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), the first building in the world to achieve both LEED® Platinum certification and meet the rigorous standards of the Living Building Challenge™. It generates its own power and runs with a zero-carbon footprint—surpassing our low-energy goal.

LEARN MORE

eOmega.org/climate-initiative

Today, the OCSL is more than a building. It’s a living classroom where people of all ages explore sustainable living, witness green innovation in action, and reconnect with the natural world.

Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium.

There is no life without water.

—ALBERT SZENT-GYÖRGYI, Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1937

Nature’s Genius at Work: How a Closed Hydrological Loop Turns Waste Into Wonder METAL ROOF

PHOTOVOLTAIC COLLECTORS

WOOD RAINSCREEN

GREEN ROOF

RAIN GARDENS

1.

2.

3.

4.

SOLID SETTLEMENT TANKS

EQUALIZATION TANKS

ANOXIC/ANAEROBIC TANKS

CONSTRUCTE WETLANDS

Naturally occurring microbial organisms begin to reclaim the water in the absence of oxygen.

The water is dis under the grave horizontally thr of wetlands. Th plants, including and bulrushes, e through the gra they host bacte organic matter, nitrogen, phosp pathogens from

The Eco Machine™ treats all the water from Omega’s campus, including water used in toilets, showers, the kitchen, the Café, etc.

Wastewater is collected in decentralized tanks located throughout campus and then flows to a central collection tank.

After solids are separated, wastewater flows into equalization tanks. These large tanks allow surges in water use to be evenly released into the Eco Machine™ over the course of the day.

ED

spersed el and travels rough a series he roots of g cattails extend avel, where eria reducing , nutrients, phorus, and m the water.

PHOTOVOLTAIC COLLECTORS

CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS

AERATED LAGOONS

5.

6.

7.

AERATED LAGOONS

RECIRCULATING SAND FILTER

DISPERSAL FIELDS

In the aerated lagoons, the water is injected with air and runs through a series of open tanks where it is scrubbed and cleaned by plants, and microorganisms further reducing the nutrient loading of the wastewater.

Before being reintroduced to the environment, the water is sent through a recirculating sand filter where sand and microorganisms provide a final “polishing”. At this point, the water meets advanced wastewater standards.

The processed water is safely reintroduced to the environment via two large dispersal fields under the parking lot, thereby recharging the aquifer and completing the hydrological loop.

Visit the OCSL We welcome everyone—students, teachers, activists, and curious minds—to explore natural water reclamation, green building, and sustainable living. Come take a free tour of the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL).

We also offer customized educational tours and classes for grades K–12. Whether you’re looking for an introduction to ecological literacy or a deeper dive into regenerative design, we can tailor the experience to suit your group’s needs.

The OCSL classroom is also available as a meeting space on a limited basis.

To inquire about tours, educational programs, or meeting space availability, please contact: OCSL@eOmega.org

VISIT US

eOmega.org/visit-the-ocsl

omegacenter for sustainableliving