On World Water Day (March 22) during the 2019 Year of the Pig, SPARK is launching “The Three Little Pigs” research project. The project proactively treats wastewater from pig farming at its source rather than allowing it to discharge into freshwater systems. “The Three Little Pigs” supports the Chinese government’s efforts to address nationwide water pollution caused by livestock farming. The unchecked dumping of livestock waste not only degrades the quality of freshwater supplies but also causes mass fish deaths, triggering eutrophication that compromises the ecological value of China’s scenic lakes. SPARK’s practical, playful, and iconic concept diverts livestock waste from drainage systems, converting it instead into biogas that can generate electricity or serve as fuel for cooking and heating. The slurry remaining in the biogas reactor can then be used as agricultural fertilizer. SPARK’s 360-degree life-cycle proposal underscores the urgency of addressing water pollution in China, highlighting the opportunity to actively repurpose waste as energy.
China’s rapid urbanization, massive rural-to-urban migration, and rising personal wealth have driven significant societal shifts, with increased meat consumption being a seldom-mentioned issue. This has profoundly impacted China’s livestock sector, particularly pig farming—pork being the country’s most popular meat. Before 1970, only 5 percent of pig waste was dumped into rivers. At the time, pig farms were mostly small, family-owned operations, but today, they have expanded dramatically, with a significant portion transitioning to industrial scale.
Driven by China’s agricultural transition, the surging demand for meat, and the corresponding expansion of farm sizes, between 30 and 70 percent of pig manure is now discharged directly into rivers.
China is home to the world’s largest pig population, averaging one pig for every three people. In Chinese culture, pigs hold a highly regarded status, symbolizing prosperity, peace, and good fortune. However, environmentalists note that the average citizen rarely connects their love of pork to water pollution.
SPARK’s “The Three Little Pigs” is a 360-degree life-cycle proposal that offers small-scale farms a system to actively manage pig waste, converting it into biogas and fertilizer. Its critical advantage lies in keeping manure out of freshwater systems. This prevents hazardous eutrophication—where excessive mineral and nutrient enrichment triggers rapid plant and algae growth, depleting oxygen and suffocating aquatic life.
SPARK’s “The Three Little Pigs” biogas plant consists of two main elements:
1. The Biogas Dome
Buried underground and constructed from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, the dome functions as an anaerobic digester that converts pig waste into biogas. This gas can be used for cooking, heating, or electricity generation.
2. “The Three Little Pigs” Gas Holders
The gas produced in the dome is stored under pressure in three custom, pig-shaped, double-membrane PVC gas holders, with a total capacity of 400 cubic meters. Both the digester domes and gas holders are easily transportable and reusable, allowing them to be relocated as needed.
Total Area: 45 sqm
Design Firm: SPARK
Project Team: Stephen Pimbley, Wenhui Lim, Wai Wing Yun, Liliani Saputri, Luca Maccarinelli
This article was written by Collin Chen. The translation is powered by AI.
