Bio-Tower Application for Improvement of a Decentralized Waste Water Treatment System for Residential Applications–Reduction of Nonpoint Source Pollution by Nitrogen

Abstract

The application of decentralized wastewater treatment system, also known as septic system is very common in suburban and rural areas with no access to centralized sewage treatment plants. Minimizing water pollution and the effects on wildlife and humans is of specific concern in rural and urban areas. A packed bio-tower addition to a 1000 gallon septic tank was tested under pilot conditions using municipal residential sewage. The septic tank packed bio-tower pilot system is able to reduce the NH3-N influent level of 16.5 mg/l to 24.0 mg/l by 77.3% to 96.7% at influent flow levels between1060 l/d (280 gal/d) and 3997 l/d (1056 gal/d). Biochemical oxygen demand levels reduction was 97.0% from 280 mg/l to 8.5 mg/l. for a flow rate of 1060 l/d (280 gal/d). Research showed that a bio-tower addition to a septic system has the potential to improve the systems overall performance.