Sand filtration system for site with high water table

Problem: A three-bedroom home was being built on a tight lot in Norwalk, Ohio. The property has a perched seasonal high water table at 20 inches below grade, and the homeowner wanted the system to be in the front yard to preserve backyard space. The system would also need a nonstandard configuration to meet multiple setback requirements. 

Solution: A shallow L-shaped mound was designed to meet the setbacks from the road, driveway and property line. A pump to a gravity Eljen GSF system was chosen to allow for a 1-foot depth credit to the seasonal high water table. Flenner Water Well and Excavating installed the mound system, which included 27 A42 GSF modules as well as a dual-chamber 1,500-gallon septic tank and a 500-gallon pump chamber from Spoerr Precast. The mound’s bed area has one row of A42 modules, and measures 4 feet wide by 108 feet long, with an overall basal area of 16 feet wide by 121 feet long.

Result: The depth credit reduced the amount of sand needed for the site, producing a shallower mound. Utilizing the front yard, the homeowner will preserve the backyard. 800-444-1359; www.eljen.com

---

ATU replaced collapsed septic system on waterfront property

Problem: Waterfront homeowners in Cheboygen County, Michigan, had their septic tank collapse and needed to install a new system to service both the family home and a small cottage on the property. 

Solution: SludgeHammer initially proposed an advanced treatment system and subsurface dripfield new system that would fit in the space between the buildings. County regulators objected because a geothermal system was already occupying that space. Instead, the county waived the required 100-foot setback from the lake so the dripfield could be installed on the lake side of the house. The county approved the SludgeHammer technology because it moved the disposal point much closer to the surface and further from the water table, which would protect the lake water quality.

Result: The latest test with up to 10 mg/L BOD and TSS and a Total Nitrogen of 17 mg/L confirmed the county’s decision. As an added bonus, the homeowners no longer have to spread high-phosphate fertilizer on their lakefront lawn, further reducing nutrient runoff. 231-348-5866; www.sludgehammer.net 

---

Treatment units specified in environmentally sensitive area

Problem: Two neighboring residences located on Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, New York, had collapsing cesspools that needed to be replaced with a low-nitrogen treatment unit pursuant to new sanitary mandates implemented by the town and county. The project was complicated by the properties’ close proximity to the harbor and the resultant high-water table. 

Solution: Advanced Wastewater Solutions and A&A Sewer and Drain teamed up to replace the failing cesspools with FujiClean CEN5 onsite treatment units leading into a pressurized shallow drainfield consisting of an Orenco Simplex Pump Station discharging into two rows of chambered drainfield. The CEN units are designed to remove upwards of 80% of nitrogen from the wastewater effluent through contact filtration treatment whereby the wastewater is recirculated through aerobic and anaerobic chambers in direct contact with fixed film media, facilitating biological digestion and mechanical filtration. The pressurized shallow drainfield further reduces total nitrogen and provides treatment of other contaminants by evenly distributing the effluent within 18 inches of the topsoil horizon where increased microbial activity and nutrient absorption occurs. 

Result: Pursuant to a special emergency replacement program adopted by Suffolk County, the contractors were able to bypass the usual months-long sanitary design and approval process and replace both failed cesspools in a total of three days. 207-406-2927; www.fujicleanusa.com

---

Septic vent helps keep drainfield healthy and odor-free

Problem: A homeowner in Massachusetts was in the process of a septic repair installation when they noticed a plastic PVC candy cane being installed in the yard. Disturbed by the appearance and potential for odor, they asked the installer for another option.

Solution: The installer purchased a Pagoda Vent Company septic vent.

Result: The customer was happy with the final result and the drainfield, along with all the subsurface components, will get the oxygen they need. 888-864-1468; www.pagodavent.com

---

Water reuse helps facility go green

Problem: A veterans health clinic in Sedalia, Missouri, was required to accumulate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design points to receive government funding. Water conservation as well as waste reduction needed to be considered.

Solution: J-Squared Engineering reached out to Webtrol Pumps to provide an NSRF350 waste treatment system that could provide water reuse. They proposed a BioBarrier MBR system, which has met NSF 350 standards and accreditation. Graywater from the facility was directed to a tank containing the device, where it was treated and stored in a compartment containing a Webtrol submersible pump, which pumps into the restroom systems of water closets and flush valves. By reusing graywater for restroom use, the facility saves on freshwater needs and reduces flow into the city sewer system.

Result: The MBR unit was installed on the side of the facility and landscaped, while providing access for maintenance. The reused water contains no contaminants, including E. coli, due to the high filtration of the MBR. The facility was granted LEED points, utility bills are reduced, and the environment is a little cleaner due to less wastewater in the sewer system. 800-769-7867; www.webtrol.com