Water, Hydroponics & Nutrient Plant
The closed-loop water economy of the Complex: how 64 greenhouse zones are fed, dosed, and drained on a 96.4% reclaimed hydro-loop, with nutrient EC/pH control, leak and overpressure protection, and the reservoir capacity to ride out a supply interruption.
Hydro Plant Telemetry
The Hydro-Loop System
The Complex runs a recirculating closed-loop hydroponic system rather than drain-to-waste. Conditioned nutrient solution is pumped from the central mixing reservoirs through zone supply mains to the growbenches; return solution is collected, UV-sterilized, particulate- and biofilm-filtered, re-balanced for EC and pH, and returned to the mix. Only the water lost to transpiration, harvest moisture, and a small purge bleed leaves the loop — which is why make-up demand is just ~38 m³/day against ~1,060 m³/day of throughput, a 96.4% reclamation rate. Atmospheric condensate recovered by the HVAC plant (see VC-FAC-0200) is polished and fed back as a primary make-up source, further shrinking external draw.
Mix & Dose
RO base water + concentrated nutrient stock A/B + pH adjust, blended to per-recipe EC/pH in 3× 600 m³ mixing reservoirs.
Distribute & Irrigate
Dual-main ring at 2.0–2.4 bar feeds 64 zone valves; drip, ebb-flow, NFT, and aeroponic heads per cultivar.
Reclaim & Re-balance
Return → 50 µm filter → UV-C sterilizer → carbon polish → EC/pH re-trim → back to mix. 96.4% recovered.
Reservoir Capacities
Storage is sized to sustain full irrigation for 72 hours with zero external make-up — the design basis for a municipal supply or RO-plant interruption.
| Reservoir | Service | Capacity | Working Level | Material | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RES-RO-1 | RO permeate (base water) | 900 m³ | 74% | HDPE-lined concrete | ● Nominal |
RES-MIX-A/B/C | Nutrient mixing (3 tanks) | 3× 600 m³ | 86% avg | 316L stainless | ● Nominal |
RES-RTN | Return / reclaim buffer | 650 m³ | 61% | 316L stainless | ● Nominal |
RES-COND | HVAC condensate recovery | 250 m³ | 48% | HDPE | ● Nominal |
RES-FIRE | Fire reserve (segregated) | 500 m³ | 100% | concrete | ◐ Reserved · sealed |
| TOTAL (excl. fire) | — | 3,700 m³ | 82% | — | ● 72 h autonomy |
Nutrient Dosing & EC/pH Control
Nutrient delivery is fully automated through inline dosing skids. Two-part concentrate (Stock A: Ca/N; Stock B: P/K/micros) plus a pH adjuster are metered by peristaltic dosing pumps under closed-loop control on inline EC and pH probes. Each greenhouse zone draws from the shared mix but can apply a zone trim to hit its cultivar's target. The control band is enforced by Bio-Systems against the thresholds in Botanical Metrics; out-of-band conditions escalate to the alarm matrix.
| Parameter | Target Band | Warn | Critical | Control Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC (nutrient strength) | 1.4–2.2 mS/cm | <1.2 or >2.4 | <1.0 or >2.8 | Auto stock A/B dose or RO dilute |
| pH | 5.8–6.2 | <5.6 or >6.4 | <5.2 or >6.8 | Auto acid/base dose, dosing lock-out at critical |
| Dissolved O₂ | >6.0 mg/L | <5.0 | <4.0 | Stage aeration / oxygenation |
| Solution temp | 18–22 °C | <16 or >24 | >26 | Loop chiller/heater trim |
| Turbidity | <2 NTU | >5 | >10 | Filter backwash, UV boost |
Irrigation Zones
Each of the 64 greenhouse zones is an independently valved and metered irrigation zone, matched to its cultivation method. Delivery is scheduled by CHLORA on per-zone moisture, sap-flow, and transpiration feedback from the PhytoSense Mesh.
| Method | Zones | Flow / Zone | Cycle | Typical Cultivars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip / substrate | 26 | 0.6–1.2 m³/h | On-demand, 6–18×/day | Temperate foliage, fruiting |
| Ebb-and-flow (flood) | 14 | 2.0–3.5 m³/h | 4–8 floods/day | Bench crops, propagation |
| NFT (nutrient film) | 12 | continuous 0.4 m³/h | 24/7 thin-film | Leafy, fast-cycle |
| Aeroponic (mist) | 8 | 0.3 m³/h pulsed | Every 3–5 min | High-value, rooting research |
| Sealed forcing (Grid F) | 4 | 1.0–1.8 m³/h | Recipe-locked | GCL-2 toxin-precursor |
Leak & Overpressure Handling
The hydro-loop is a pressurized system threaded through every level of the building, including above the GCL-4 Bio-Vault. Water intrusion into containment is treated as a containment risk, not just a maintenance issue, so the loop carries layered leak and overpressure protection that ties directly into the facility alarm matrix.
- Pressure monitoring: the Hydro-Loop Pressure metric is sampled continuously; nominal band 2.0–2.4 bar, watch <2.0 / >2.6 bar, critical <1.6 / >3.0 bar.
- Overpressure protection: PRVs set at 3.2 bar per main; pump VFDs ramp down on high-pressure trip; surge accumulators damp water-hammer on valve close.
- Leak detection: rope leak-sensors in every plant room, riser, and the Bio-Vault interstitial plenum; flow-balance reconciliation flags >2% supply/return mismatch.
- Zone isolation: any zone can be motor-valve isolated in <3 s; the Bio-Vault sub-loop auto-isolates and dumps to a bunded sump on any intrusion signal.
- No water over GCL-4: Bio-Vault fire suppression is inert-gas, and all wet services above Z2 run in a double-contained, monitored sleeve that drains away from containment.
Hydro Plant Maintenance
Preventive maintenance for water and hydroponic assets. Consolidated register in VC-FAC-0500.
| Asset | Interval | Task | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC/pH probes | Weekly | 2-point calibration, condition check | FAC-HYD |
| Dosing pumps | Monthly | Flow verification, tube replace (peristaltic) | FAC-HYD |
| UV-C sterilizers | Quarterly | Lamp hours, quartz sleeve clean | FAC-HYD |
| RO membranes | Quarterly | Flux/rejection test, CIP clean | FAC-HYD |
| Filters (50 µm / carbon) | Monthly | Backwash, media check/replace | FAC-HYD |
| Leak sensors / PRVs | Semi-annual | Function test, PRV set-point verify | FAC-HYD + FAC-BSZ |
| Reservoirs | Annual | Drain, inspect, sanitize, recommission | FAC-HYD |
| Loop full sanitation | Annual (staggered) | Biofilm flush, recommission per zone | FAC-HYD |