Apparatus for subsurface aerated treatment of wastewater

Abstract

The performance of a leach field of a septic tank type wastewater treatment system and other analogous devices is enhanced, maintained or rejuvenated by flowing air or other active gas through conduits of the system. Air is flowed serially through leaching chambers, perforated pipes in stone filled trenches, pits and the like, and the adjacent soil where wastewater treatment takes place. In alternate embodiments, conduits are pressurized or evacuated; and, auxiliary pipes are buried in vicinity of the conduits. An air mover creates a differential pressure sufficient to effect a desired physical or biochemical change in the soil adjacent the conduits, variously to to an extent sufficient to push water from saturated soil and to change the gas composition in the soil. Different valve devices and piping configurations are used to manage the desired flow of air and wastewater.

I claim:  
     
         1 . Apparatus for processing wastewater from a source, comprising: 
 a wastewater pipeline, for conveying wastewater from the source to a primary unit;    a primary unit, for receiving and primarily treating the wastewater, to thereby produce and discharge wastewater;    a leach field, located downstream of the primary unit, for receiving and secondarily treating wastewater discharged from the primary unit, comprised of 
 (a) at least one trench within the soil, the trench having a wall through which wastewater flows into an influence zone within soil adjacent the trench wall;  
 (b) a conduit running within the trench, for discharging wastewater at points along the length of the trench; and  
 (c) an influence zone comprised of soil adjacent the trench, for receiving wastewater and enabling biochemical change in the composition of the wastewater;  
   a distribution pipeline, for carrying wastewater from the primary unit to the leach field; and,    means for producing a gas pressure differential between the conduit and said influence zone, said means sufficient to create biochemically significant gas flow within the influence zone;    wherein, wastewater flows from the primary unit, through said conduit, and into the influence zone.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: means for preventing gas flow upstream toward the source during the times when a gas pressure differential is created.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said means for preventing gas flow is a mechanical check valve.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said means for preventing gas flow is a liquid trap.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said liquid trap is located within the primary unit.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the distribution pipeline has an injection point downstream of said means for preventing gas flow upstream; 
 wherein said means for creating a gas pressure differential provides pressurized gas to the injection point, to thereby cause gas to flow along said distribution pipeline and into the leach field.  
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a wastewater pipeline having an injection point, wherein said means for creating a gas pressure differential provides gas pressure to the injection point, to thereby cause gas to flow along the wastewater pipeline, through the primary unit, and into the leach field; and,    valve means, located along the wastewater pipeline, upstream of said injection point, for preventing upstream gas flow during times when a gas pressure differential is created in the wastewater pipeline.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 a bypass wastewater pipeline, for providing a wastewater flow path around said wastewater pipeline valve means; and,  
 a bypass valve in the bypass wastewater pipeline, for controlling flow therethrough.  
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising: a reservoir connected to the bypass line, for receiving wastewater during times when said valve means and said bypass valve are closed.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising: a stack vent connected to the wastewater pipeline between the valve means and the primary unit, wherein the means for creating gas pressure differential is an gas mover located in the stack vent.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: a sensor for sensing gas composition or pressure, and for providing a first signal responsive thereto; a control unit, for receiving said first signal and comparing the first signal to a desired gas composition or pressure reference point, the control unit providing a second signal to said means for producing a gas pressure differential; wherein the operation of the means for creating the gas pressure differential is altered, according to the difference between the first signal and the reference point.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said means for creating a differential gas pressure comprises an gas mover which pressurizes the conduit relative to atmosphere.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said means for producing a gas pressure differential creates a gas pressure differential of at least about 2.5 mm water column.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the gas pressure differential is at least about 2.5 cm water column.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the gas pressure differential is between about 7.5 and about 100 cm water column.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an auxiliary pipe buried within the soil in proximity to the trench, for receiving or delivering gas flowing from or to a conduit of the leach field.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the auxiliary pipe is connected to a means of producing differential gas pressure, so that gas within the pipe is raised above atmospheric pressure during use.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the auxiliary pipe runs vertically in the soil.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the auxiliary pipe is positioned underneath the trench and wherein the pipe is pressurized by said means for creating a differential gas pressure during operation.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an auxiliary pipe running within the trench, connected to the means for producing a differential gas pressure.  
     
     
         22 . Apparatus for processing wastewater, which comprises: 
 means for flowing wastewater into an influence zone within soil, where the biochemistry of the wastewater is altered by biochemical activity; and,    means for flowing a biochemically or physically effective amount of gas comprised of air or other active gas into the influence zone, sufficient to create a significant differential gas pressure with respect to atmosphere at a point within the influence zone.    
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein said means for flowing water into an influence zone comprises a conduit buried within the soil; and, wherein said means for flowing air or other active gas comprises means capable of producing at least 2.5 cm water column differential gas pressure at the outlet of the means.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein said means for flowing wastewater into an influence zone comprises a cesspool.  
     
     
         25 . Apparatus for subsurface treatment of wastewater which comprises: 
 (a) a source of wastewater;    (b) means for flowing said wastewater from the source to one or more means for infiltrating wastewater into soil;    (c) means for infiltrating wastewater into an influence zone in the soil; and,    (d) means for flowing a gas comprised of gas or other active gas, to create a gas pressure differential between said means for infiltrating and the influence zone, to thereby cause said gas to flow serially through the means and the influence zone; wherein, the quantity of said air or other active gas which is flowed is an effective amount with respect to altering the biochemical or physical character of the influence zone and the treatment of wastewater therein.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said source (a) comprises a primary wastewater treatment unit; wherein said means for infiltrating (c) comprises a multiplicity of arch shape conduits within trenches buried in the soil; and, wherein said means for flowing gas (d) comprises an gas mover for flowing air drawn from the earth atmosphere, to pressurize the conduits relative to the influence zone and thereby cause air flow from the means for infiltrating (d) into the influence zone; which apparatus further comprises: means for preventing flow of gas in a direction which is the reverse of the direction in which wastewater normally flows in the apparatus, in the absence of flow of gas or other active gas.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein wastewater from said source (a) is substantially untreated and wherein said means for infiltrating (c) comprises a cesspool.  
     
     
         28 . Apparatus, mounted in the wastewater flow path of a subsurface wastewater treatment system, comprising: 
 means for providing pressurized gas, connected to the flowpath at a point along the length thereof; and,    means, mounted in the flow path, for enabling free liquid flow in a downstream direction of the pipeline and for resisting gas flow in the opposing upstream direction; wherein the said means is located upstream of the point at which said means for providing pressurized gas is connected.    
     
     
         29 . Apparatus in kit form, adapted for insertion into a pipeline of a system for subsurface treatment of wastewater, which pipeline carries wastewater in a downstream direction, comprising: 
 means for checking the flow of gas in an upstream direction along the length of a pipeline of the system, when the pipeline downstream of the means is pressurized with gas, said means allowing wastewater to flow in the opposing downstream direction when the pipeline is unpressurized or when the head of wastewater exceeds any pressure of the gas in the pipeline; and,    means for creating a differential gas pressure between said pipeline and the atmosphere.    
     
     
         30 . The kit apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein said means for checking the flow of gas is a mechanical valve; and wherein said means for creating differential gas pressure is an air mover which provides above-atmospheric pressure to the pipeline.  
     
     
         31 . The kit apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the valve is a mechanical check valve.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29  further comprising means for actuating the means for checking the flow of gas, to alternately enable fluid flow upstream and downstream.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29  further comprising: means for activating and deactivating said means for creating differential gas pressure for selected intervals of time.