Patented by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as part of research related to ensuring “adequate, sustainable supplies of water for the region’s continued growth,” ReCip was the first fill-and-drain wetland treatment system.

These systems are attractive, odor-free, and low-maintenance systems capable of producing reuse water quality in a very compact footprint. Due to the patented fill and drain aeration process RecCip systems are among the most energy efficient wastewater treatment systems on the market. ReCip is a highly resilient, flexible and scalable technology, which can be adapted to nearly any site – urban or rural, temperate or tropical. System designs have ranged between 1,000 to 300,000 gallons per day.

ReCip systems rely on principles found in natural tidal wetlands. In these systems, wastewater is alternately filled and drained in paired reactor cells on a recurrent basis – analogous to the daily tidal cycles. Each cell contains specialized aggregates and hydroponic plants that create ideal habitat for treatment biofilms.  The fill-and-drain process naturally creates anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic environments during each cycle that help break down waste through controlled microbial processes, such as nitrification and denitrification. By mimicking tidal principles [bio-mimicry], these systems achieve the energy use, a very compact footprint, and high quality reclaimed water.