Advanced Wastewater Treatment Applications and Benefits
By Ashley Donnelly, Technical Training & Sales Development Manager
health. In some cases, however, there are sites that require an extra level of treatment due to tight soils, high water tables, or close proximity to water or environmentally sensitive areas. In such cases, strict effluent concentration limits are often required and decentralized wastewater treatment, combined with advanced treatment technologies, offers a viable solution. This article explores the benefits of incorporating advanced treatment technologies in wastewater system design to overcome difficult site conditions, ensuring effective treatment, and meeting regulatory requirements. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Solves Greater Issues Advanced treatment technologies for small scale residential and commercial systems are now available that can treat wastewater to levels previously only achievable by large scale wastewater treatment plants. Incorporating advanced treatment technology into a decentralized wastewater treatment system enables the benefits of decentralized systems to be realized where large scale treatment plants would previously have been the design of choice. Well-known technologies include combined treatment and dispersal, extended aeration, and fixed film systems. These treatment processes utilize naturally occurring microbial communities, which consume the organics and reduce the strength of the waste. Passive advanced treatment technologies, such as combined treatment and dispersal, remove up to 99 percent of wastewater impurities (BOD/TSS) without using any electricity or replacement media. Highly purified wastewater is then released to the soil, recharging the groundwater, preventing soil and groundwater contamination.
Benefits of Decentralized Systems Decentralized wastewater treatment systems allow for a customized solution based on the specific needs and characteristics of the local area. From reduced infrastructure costs to managed aquifer recharge (MAR), decentralized systems offer a resilient and reliable approach to wastewater treatment, minimizing potential environmental impacts while offering flexibility and scalability. They can be easily upgraded or modified to incorporate new technologies or adapted to evolving regulatory requirements. This adaptability is particularly beneficial in areas or communities where future wastewater treatment needs may be evolving. Allowing for incremental expansions based on population growth and changing wastewater characteristics, decentralized systems not only offer numerous environmental benefits, but also economic benefits as well offering opportunities for service providers, inspectors, installers, and designers, as noted by the US EPA. These benefits make it an attractive option for addressing wastewater treatment challenges in various contexts. Decentralized (onsite) systems serve us well, with 25 percent of the population and 30 percent of new construction in the United States utilizing this technology. Decentralized systems do an excellent job of treating effluent onsite, keeping water local to its original source, all while recharging the local water supply. Traditional onsite wastewater systems are tried and true; they are the workhorses that protect public
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csengineermag.com
September 2023
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