Bioshelters, Inc. treats its own wastes with natural processes on-site using a low cost, technologically accessible constructed wetland. The first step called primary treatment, consists of wastewater being applied to one of three Pre-treatment Drying Beds (PTDB's). These beds consist of reeds planted in gravel over a layer of sand. Solids and sludge remain in the bed (for potential re-use as soil conditioner or fertilizer) and the liquid portion drains through pipes into barrels fitted with a small pump and an airstone. As the barrels fill, water is pumped into Secondary Treatment Trenches (STT's), where microbial processes present in the media remove excess nutrients. The effluent is then oxygenated before discharge into an adjacent stream.