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Nitrogen, Septic
Systems, Great
Bay and Why it
Matters
Hugh Gregg Center
October 31, 2017
Christopher Albert
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Hydrologic Cycle
• Why we care
• What are they
– Impacts
– Alternatives
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Presentation Overview
• Water Usages
• Homeowner Maintenance
• Septic System History
• The Septic Tank
• Nitrification
• Advanced Systems
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“Typical” household
DeOreo, et al. Residential End Uses of Water. 2016.
• 1999
– 177 gphd
• 2016
– 138 gphd
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“Typical” per capita
• 1999
– 69 gpcd
• 2016
– 59 gpcd
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Where do we use it?1. Bathroom = 57%
– Toilet = 24%
– Bathing = 23%
– Faucets = 10%
DeOreo, et al. Residential End Uses of Water. 2016.
2. Laundry = 17%
3. Leaks = 12%
4. Kitchen = 11%
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SEPTIC SYSTEMS
Over 1 trillion gallons of septic tank effluent
disposed from individual septic systems per year.
Septic systems performance depends upon
• Location on the landscape
• Design
• Constructed
• Used or Abused - Homeowner
• Maintained / Serviced
• Technology
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SIGNS THE SYSTEM IS
FAILED or FAILING
• warning signs of a failing system:
– Slowly draining sinks and toilets
– Gurgling sounds in the plumbing
– Plumbing backups
– Sewage odors in the house or yard
– Ground’s wet or mushy underfoot
– Grass growing faster and greener in one
particular area of the yard
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• The Do’s
• Have it pumped when needed not when there
is a problem.– Inspect condition of tank
– Inlet and outlet baffles
– Scum layer
– Sludge layer
– Inspect D-box for signs of flooding
• Install a drywell for water treatment systems
• You don’t need septic tank additives
• Maintain Records of your Septic System
• Know the Location of you field and tank
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• Flush Responsibly– Don’t Flush
• Coffee grounds
• Diapers
• Handi wipes
• Cat litter
• Cigarette buts
• Feminine hygiene products
• Kleenex
• Grease / Oil / Fats
All these items are non-organic and non-
biodegradable
• Garbage disposal – Increase Septic Tank Size 50%
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• THE Don’ts• Flush Household chemicals down drain
• Paints
• Paint thinners
• Use of heavy bleach cleaners
• Use toilets bowl fresheners
• Pesticides
• Unused Medications
– These products will stress a septic tank
and destroy anaerobic biological
treatment in a septic tank and could
contaminate surface or groundwater
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Septic Systems
• Outhouse
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Commercial
Outhouse
• Two Seater
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CESS POOLS pre 1970
MATERIALS USED
• CINDER
BLOCKS
• FIELD STONES
• RAILROAD
TIES
• BARRELS
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DRYWELLSWILL HAVE A PRIMARY SEPTIC TANK BEFORE
DRYWELL
• Precast Concrete Structure – 1970’s
• PRECAST CONCRETE
• CINDER BLOCKS
• FIELD STONES
• RAILROAD TIES
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Pipe and STONELeach Beds or Trenches 1970’s – 1980’s
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ChambersConcrete Chamber or Plastic Chambers 1980’s – 1990s
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Fabric Base SystemsEarly 1990’s – present
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Alternative TechnologyLate 1990’s – present
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CONVENTIONAL LEACH FIELD SEPTIC SYSTEMTreatment occurs within the leach field components
Septic Tank
Solids settle out in an
Anaerobic environment –
partial treatment
Leach Field
Aerobic treatment occurs along the interface
between the leaching component and the sand
at the “Biomat” (bacterial film)
High Vent
Low Vent
Treatment with the leach field
Further treatment occurs with the the soil below the Biomat
Treated effluent recharges the groundwater
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Septic Tank Functions
• Solids removal by settling &
floatation
– 60-80% solids removal
• Anaerobic digestion
• Storage of solids
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Function of a Septic Tank
full when total solids 25-30% tank
Image from University of Minnesota
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TURBULENCE FROM HEAVY
USAGE
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Checking the Sludge Levels
• Should be three distinct layers if functioning properly
• Heavy accumulation means excess inputs
• One uniform layer ~ excess chemical inputs?
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Literature Review of
Raw and Septic Tank Effluent
Parameter Source Median
Value (mg/L)
Range
(mg/L)
Removal
%
CBOD5 Raw
STE
337
158
30 - 598
39 - 861
~60
COD Raw
STE
905
325
495-2,404
157-1,931
~60
TSS Raw
STE
280
61
18-2,233
20 - 276
~75
TN Raw
STE
63
54
44 - 189
26 – 124
~10
TP Raw
STE
19
10
13 - 26
3 – 40
~50
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Nitrogen in Wastewater
• Urine contributes about 75% of the
nitrogen found in domestic wastewater
• Feces contributes about 20% of
nitrogen
• Soaps, cleaners and fertilizers, when
unregulated, can contribute to the
nitrogen concentrations
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Nitrogen in Wastewater
• Organic nitrogen….. Organic-N
• Ammonium nitrogen…. NH4-
• Nitrite nitrogen…. NO2
• Nitrate nitrogen… NO3
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Nitrogen Treatment Process
• Organic-N Urea 02
• Ammonification Nitrification
Denitrification
N2
NH3
NO3
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Ammonification
• Ammonification is the transformation of
organic nitrogen to ammonium (NH4)
and ammonia (NH3) inorganic forms
pH dependant
• The septic tank provides 70% +/-
ammonification and about ¾ of the
remaining organic nitrogen is converted
through the secondary aerobic process
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Nitrification
• Nitrification is the microbial conversion of
ammonium to nitrate
• Is a two-phase process that occurs in the
highly aerobic environment.
• Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria convert nitrite to
nitrate
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Denitrification• Denitrification occurs under an anoxic
condition, DO <0.3 mg/L
• Nitrate (NO3) is reduced to nitrogen gas
(N2), which is passed back into the
atmosphere
• Microbial denitrification consumes 4 mg
carbon for each mg nitrate
• BOD/NO3 ratio is 4:1 and 8:1
• Recovers 3.57 mg alkalinity (CaCO3)
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Nitrification Limiting Factors
• High organic concentrations (BOD, COD)
• Lack of sufficient dissolved oxygen >2
• Insufficient alkalinity, CaCO3 > 100 mg/L
– Sufficient to buffer the process
• Low pH, optimum range 7-9
• Low temperture > 45 degree
• Toxic Inhibitors
• Carbon Source for denitrification
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Innovative Technology
For
Nitrogen Reduction In NH
Solutions for Decentralized Wastewater
Treatment
HIGH GROUNDWATER
IMPAIRED WATERS AND SENSITIVE AREAS
GROUNDWATER SOURCE PROTECTION
SMALL LOTS OF RECORD
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Organic Overload- High Strength
Waste (HSW)
• National glossary definition of HSW
Effluent from a septic tank or other pretreatment component that has:
BOD5 > 170 mg/L,
and/or TSS > 60 mg/L,
and/or (FOG) > 25 mg/L and is applied to an infiltrative surface
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Hydraulic and Organic
Loading• Two main design parameters
– Hydraulic Loading• Rate that water will pass through the device
• Must provide sufficient retention time
• Wash-outs can occur on laundry day
– Organic Loading• Organic matter is food for microbes
• More food than microbes – poor quality effluent
• More microbes than food – high quality effluent
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Recirculating sand/ gravel
filters (RSFs or RGFs)
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Limitations
• Land Area
– Large area required
• Media Quality
– Lack of good quality media
• Installation Quality
– Installing contractors
• Serviceability
– Replacement of system
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PRETREATMENT UNITS
Two General Types of Treatment:
Suspended and Attached Growth
Aerobic Treatment Units (ATUs)
Saturated units – bubble air through water
Media Filters
Unsaturated units – diffuse air through pore space
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ATUs: Miniature WWTP• Aerobic
Treatment Units
• Biological
processes are
well understood
• Mix microbes,
wastewater, and
dissolved oxygen
To FinalTreatment
Influent
WatertightTank
AirDiffusers
SettlingSolids
AerobicBacteria and other Microorganisms
Air Supply
Clear Water Zone
Aeration ChamberDirty Water ZoneUpflow
Clarifier
Grade Elevation
(from primary treatment)
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Treatment Train
May all be in one or
two units
Septic
TankATU
Pump
tank
Final
treatment &
dispersal
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Comparisons of Domestic
WW Effluent
Constituent Septic tank ATU
BOD (mg/L) 140-220 5-50
TSS (mg/L) 50-100 5-100
Total (N mgN/L) 40-100 25-60
Total P (mgP/L) 5-15 4-10
Fecal col/100ml 1 million to
100 million
1,000 – 10,000
Siegrist, 2001
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Single-Pass Media Filters (SPMF)
• Usually pressure dosed, but
some are gravity fed
• Applied wastewater
infiltrates the filter surface
• Percolates through the filter
only once,
then flows to the next
treatment step
• BOD = 5 mg/L
• TSS = 5 mg/L
• NO3 = 30 mg/L
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SeptiTech Unit
• Recirculating biological trickling filter System
– Polystyrene hydrophobic bead filter media
– Circulated through filter media 70 times in a 24 hour time period - Mixed-liquor
– Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
– Periodically pump back to ST for anaerobic digestion (denitrification)
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Primary Septic Tank
SeptiTech Processor4” Inlet
1-1/2” Return
4” Inlet 2” Discharge
2/3 1/3
Effluent
Filter
2”
Air
1”
Elec
SeptiTech
SeptiTech Processor
Polystyrene Bead
Treatment Media
Self Cleaning Processor
Primary Septic Tank2 CompartmentEffluent Filter
External PipingInlet / Discharge Line
Return Line
Air Intake
Electrical Conduit
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Textile-based Packed Bed Filter• Watertight structure with
media of particular specifications
• After being collected in a processing tank, effluent is distributed (by pressure or gravity) over the surface of the media
• Media provides surface area for bacteria and other microorganisms to treat the effluent
• Aerobic treatment zone
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Orenco AdvanTex®
Control panel
Primary tank
Textile- Based
Packed Bed
Filters (PBF’s)
Recirc-return (5:1
ratio)
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Leach Field vs Dispersal Field4 – Bedroom Single Family Home with 12 min/in perc. rate
Chamber Leach Field 768 SQ.FT. Req’d ( 16’ x 48’)
Fabric Wrapped Pipe Leach Field 220 L.F. Req’d ( 7.5’ x 62’)
Aerobic systems can receive between 75 to 90% reduction
Pipe & Stone Leach Field 1,200 SQ.FT. Req’d ( 20’ x 60’)
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Cost and Maintenance
• Typical Cost Three Bedroom House
– Purchase Price between $7,000- $10,000
• Annual Inspection Cost
– $200 to $350 per year
• Energy Cost
– $5 to $15 per month
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Testing Results
Orenco
• NSF testing
– 27 sites, mean 13 mg/L
Septitech
• Rye – Less then 14 mg/L Total Nitrogen
• Pinelands, NJ:
– 19 sites, mean 9.58 mg/L
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SEPTIC SYSTEMS PROTECT OUR
LAKES, RIVERS, GREAT BAY AND
GROUNDWATER
FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS
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Thank You
Questions
Acknowledgements
Sara Heger, Univer. of Minnesota
Tracey Rioux- Sepitech
Cory Lyons - Orenco