CHLORALIS

CHLORALIS is a decentralized, algae-based wastewater treatment system designed as a low-cost, sustainable alternative to conventional treatment plants for schools, hostels, and small residential communities. The core innovation of this project is the use of algae glass panels, compact, transparent, vertically mounted bioreactor units that use natural sunlight to drive algal photosynthesis. As filtered wastewater passes through these panels, algae absorb dissolved nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates while enriching the water with dissolved oxygen, converting a polluting waste stream into safer, reusable water. Unlike traditional open algae ponds, which require large surface areas, the vertical glass-panel design minimizes land use and can double as a shading or architectural feature, an approach inspired by bioreactive building facades already tested internationally (such as the BIQ House in Hamburg, Germany). The system proposes measurable water-quality indicators, including dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and nutrient concentration, to evaluate treatment effectiveness, along with a closed-loop strategy for reusing harvested algal biomass as organic fertilizer. Conceived and developed by the author as a Class 12 student-led research and innovation (R&D) project, CHLORALIS demonstrates how principles from environmental science and sustainable architecture can be combined to propose scalable, low-cost water treatment solutions for resource-constrained settings. This work is shared as an early-stage conceptual design, intended to contribute to ongoing global discussions on nature-based solutions for water sustainability and climate-resilient infrastructure.