Cost is one of the system's better selling points. Using EPA estimates, a finance manager for the Bali Intercontinental Hotel figured that for most hotels in Bali, a Wastewater Gardens program can pay for itself within three years. And whereas conventional systems last just 20 years, ecological systems can last indefinitely. Presently, the high cost of conventional systems combined with poor environmental enforcement do little to encourage adequate sewage processing in Bali. Tiny hotel septic tanks fill with sludge as often as once a week.
Raw waste is pumped and dumped along the coast.
Two popular dump sites lie just upcurrent from Nusa Dua, Bali's premier resort strip. Local government aims to tackle southern Bali's wastewater problem with the Denpasar Sewerage Project. Flowering plants such as canna lilies thrive in Wastewater Gardens at Zpu-Ha. The eco-park receives as many as 1,500 visitors a day. Ecological wastewater treatment isn't limited to small-scale projects.