About BioSphere

Who We Are
BioSphere Consulting, Inc. designs sustainable, environmentally-friendly onsite wastewater and rainwater catchment systems for clients in Northern California. Our system designs solve common septic problems and help protect and preserve the planet’s natural resources. We are passionate about making a positive change in our local communities and the world we live in . . . the biosphere! We apply our experience in geology and soil science to perform exhaustive site evaluations that include constraint mapping, soil analysis, groundwater monitoring, and soil percolation/infiltration testing. We are active participants in the process of developing local and state regulatory policies relating to decentralized wastewater.

Andrew Brownstone, President / Owner
Andrew brings over 14 years of diverse experience working as a local consulting engineering geologist and wastewater system designer. His experience and knowledge of the principles of earth science provides a critical advantage in the design of systems which ultimately rely on a site’s specific soil conditions to provide sufficient functionality. Andrew is an Accredited Professional with the American Rainwater Catchment System Association. Throughout his career, Andrew has successfully executed a vast array of challenging projects including residential septic system upgrade / repair designs and engineered wastewater treatment system designs for commercial, institutional & mixed-use facilities.

His experience includes the design and permitting of hundreds of engineered wastewater treatment and dispersal systems for single family homes that incorporate "alternative" technology and sophisticated soil dispersal and irrigation systems.

How Alternative Systems Work
Engineered onsite wastewater treatment systems offer a solution to problematic septic systems because they treat the septic effluent to advanced secondary levels (clear and odorless filtrate) that can be dispersed in near-surface soils using subsurface drip tubing or shallow (10” to 18”-deep) pressurized trenches.

  By treating the effluent first, no slimy biomat build-up occurs along the floor and sidewalls of the leaching trench. It is this slimy biomat caused by organic loading that plugs up the soil and accelerates progressive failure of a conventional leachfield.

  It has been widely demonstrated that 99% of the beneficial microbial populations that live in the soil are known to inhabit the upper 16” where there is abundant oxygen and increased hydraulic conductivity.

  By discharging to the upper 6” to 16” of the soil column, evaporation and plant up-take assist in the treatment process.

  By carefully micro-dosing discharge to the near-surface soils, we attenuate the flows over time and space by spreading the treated filtrate over a large area (landscape) thus greatly reducing the soil application rate and allowing the naturally occurring soil microbes to COMPLETE THE TREATMENT PROCESS …. ultimately removing the impact we have on the natural water cycle and allowing us to recycle the wastewater for use as landscape irrigation in the process.

Compared with advanced alternative systems, conventional septic systems are problematic and unsustainable in the long-run.

Where We Work
BioSphere is based in Santa Cruz, California and we work with clients all over the Greater San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area including:

Santa Cruz County  Felton  Ben Lomond  Boulder Creek  Santa Cruz  Soquel  Aptos  Watsonville San Mateo County  Woodside  Portola Valley

Monterey County  Carmel Highlands  Carmel Valley  Salinas  Big Sur Alameda County  Sunol  Fremont Santa Clara County San Benito County

Notable Commercial Projects:

 San Lorenzo Valley Water District - Boulder Creek, California

 Kim-Son Meditation Center - Watsonville, California

 Scotts Valley Montessori School - Scotts Valley, California

 YMCA Camp Campbell - Boulder Creek, California

 Mt. Cross Camp and Retreat Center - Felton, California

 New Mixed-Used Development - Carmel Valley, California

 Santa Cruz Public Library System - Felton, California

 Community Covenant Church - Scotts Valley, California

 New Mixed-Used Development - Ben Lomond, California

 Re-Development of Restaurant for Mixed-Use - Boulder Creek, California

 StillHeart Retreat Center - Woodside, California