Customised wastewater upgrade at the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í Centre in Henderson

The Bahá’í Centre in Henderson was undergoing major upgrades. As a spiritual assembly and community hub, it regularly hosts large gatherings and training events. With more people set to use the site, its wastewater system became a critical concern.

The existing system was no longer compliant, expensive to run, and unable to handle the big flows of large functions.

“They came to us and said, we want NaturalFlow,” recalls Ken Hoyle, WaterFlow’s Design Manager.

“It matched their values — low energy, low maintenance, sustainable.The challenge was, NaturalFlow is normally for smaller sites. Here we were talking about up to 18,000 litres a day.”

Designing NaturalFlow on a whole new scale

Instead of pushing the community toward a mechanical plant, WaterFlow worked to adapt NaturalFlow for commercial use.

“We had to design something bigger than we’d ever done before,” Ken explains. “But we made NaturalFlow work at that scale.”

The final design included:

• A grease trap for kitchen waste
• Two Wormorator tanks for primary treatment
• Two Bioreactors for secondary polishing
• An irrigation field on the hillside, planted with natives to protect the nearby stream

“It gave them exactly what they asked for: a passive, low-energy system that can handle big numbers,” Ken says.

 

Overcoming big-site logistics

Delivering the large concrete tanks required some creative thinking. Access to the property was via a narrow one-lane bridge that couldn’t accommodate heavy trucks. The bridge was upgraded as part of wider site works, which meant the tanks could be brought in safely and without delay.

On site, installation was a true team effort. At one stage, earthworks were started on the irrigation field ahead of plan. Once WaterFlow and the contractors re-aligned on the design, the installation moved forward smoothly.

“These projects work best when we stay closely involved right through installation,” explains Ken Hoyle. “It means we can keep everything on track and avoid unnecessary complications.”

 

Sustainable performance that fits community values

With the new system in place, the Bahá’í Centre can now host large gatherings with peace of mind.

“It’s doing exactly what they wanted,” Ken reflects. “They’ve got a system that’s reliable, cost-effective, and aligned with their values. That’s a big win.”

 

WaterFlow - the only team that could deliver

Ultimately, the deciding factor was WaterFlow’s unique position as the only provider of NaturalFlow systems.

“They wanted NaturalFlow, and we were the only ones who could give it to them,” Ken explains.

“That’s our edge: we don’t just deliver compliance. We deliver systems that reflect people’s values, whether that’s sustainability, low energy use, or protecting their land.”

If you're running a church, retreat centre, or community facility that hosts large gatherings, WaterFlow can design and scale low-energy and low-maintenance wastewater systems to suit your site.

Book a free site visit today.