Bioreactor garden wastewater treatment system
View Patent ↗A wastewater treatment system for households, individual buildings, hotels, neighborhoods, and wastewater treatment plants is designed to treat wastewater effluent from an initial treatment system such as a septic tank or a primary or secondary treatment system. A self-regenerating bioreactor garden is connected in series with the initial treatment system. The self-regenerating bioreactor garden receives untreated or minimally treated wastewater effluent from the initial treatment system and is designed to dramatically reduce the volume and concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, biological oxygen demand, and suspended sediments in the wastewater effluent so that the treated wastewater effluent can be discharged directly into leach field, seepage pit, injection well, or another surrounding environment. The self-regenerating bioreactor garden can meet or exceed the applicable requirements of National Sanitation Foundation, including NSF 245 and NSF 40, and equivalent standards.
1 . A wastewater treatment system that includes: an initial treatment system adapted to receive untreated wastewater; and a self-regenerating bioreactor garden downstream from and connected in series with the initial treatment system; wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden receives initial wastewater effluent from the initial treatment system via a plurality of inlet pipes and releases treated wastewater effluent via one or more collecting pipes and an outlet; the self-regenerating bioreactor garden includes an aerobic nitrifying stage and an anaerobic denitrifying stage arranged in series vertically; and the outlet is arranged at a vertical level above the anaerobic denitrifying stage; wherein the bioreactor garden comprises: a top layer of self-regenerating plants; a nitrifying layer in which the self-regenerating plants grow, wherein the nitrifying layer comprises one or more of soil, concrete sand, basalt aggregate, quartz sand, biochar, granulated activated carbon (GAC), zeolite and crushed glass; a sand layer below the nitrifying layer: a permeable root-blocking layer below the sand layer; and a base layer below the root blocking layer that includes wood chips and biochar.
2 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment system comprises a septic tank or a group septic system.
3 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment system comprises a primary or secondary package plant.
4 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment system comprises a primary or secondary wastewater treatment plant.
5 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the nitrifying layer comprises nitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus , and combinations thereof.
6 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the layer of sand comprises nitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus , and combinations thereof.
7 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises denitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Serratia denitrificans, Pseudomonas denitrificans, Achromobacter denitrificans , and combinations thereof.
8 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-generating plants comprise “Sunshine” vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ).
9 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-generating plants comprise one or more of “Sunshine” vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), Uhaloa Waltherialndica, Waltheria Americana , Koki'o ke'oke'o Hibiscus arnottianus , Makaloa Cyperus laevigatus , Akakai Schoenoplectiella tabernae , Ahuawa Mariscus javanicus , Ko'oko' olau Bidens torta , llima Sida fallax , Ulei Osteomeles anthyllidifolia , A' ali'i Dodonaea viscosa , Hawaiian tree fern, Hawaiian coral tree, Hawaiian coral reef, lace fern, hibiscus , and combinations thereof.
10 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with nitrogen-containing compounds in the initial wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a nitrogen content at least about 75% less than a nitrogen content of the initial wastewater effluent.
11 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with nitrogen-containing compounds in the initial wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a nitrogen content at least about 85% less than a nitrogen content of the initial wastewater effluent.
12 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with phosphorus-containing compounds in the untreated or minimally treated wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a phosphorus content at least about 65% less than a phosphorus content of the initial wastewater effluent.
13 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with phosphorus-containing compounds in the initial wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a phosphorus content at least about 75% less than a phosphorus content of the initial wastewater effluent.
14 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden processes suspended sediment in the initial wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a sediment content at least about 90% less than a sediment content of the initial wastewater effluent.
15 . A wastewater treatment system, comprising: a septic tank adapted to receive untreated wastewater from a building; and a self-regenerating bioreactor garden downstream from and connected in series with the septic tank; wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden receives initial wastewater effluent from the septic tank via a plurality of inlet pipes and is sized such that the plants in the self-regenerating bioreactor garden uptake and transpire an entirety of the initial wastewater effluent resulting in zero discharge from the wastewater treatment system; the self-regenerating bioreactor garden includes an aerobic nitrifying stage and an anaerobic denitrifying stage arranged in series vertically; and the nitrifying stage and the denitrifying stage are separated by a permeable root blocking layer.
16 . A wastewater treatment system, comprising: a septic tank adapted to receive untreated wastewater directly from a building; and a self-regenerating bioreactor garden downstream from and connected in series with the septic tank; wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden receives initial wastewater effluent from the septic tank via a plurality of inlet pipes and releases treated wastewater effluent directly into a leaching field via one or more collecting pipes and an outlet; the self-regenerating bioreactor garden includes an aerobic nitrifying stage and an anaerobic denitrifying stage arranged in series vertically; the outlet is arranged at a vertical level above the anaerobic denitrifying stage; and the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with nitrogen-containing compounds and phosphorus-containing compounds in the initial wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a nitrogen content at least about 65% less than a nitrogen content of the initial wastewater effluent and a phosphorus content at least about 65% less than a phosphorus content of the initial wastewater effluent; wherein the bioreactor garden comprises: a top layer of self-regenerating plants: an aerobic nitrifying layer in which the self-regenerating plants grow; a-permeable root-blocking layer beneath the aerobic nitrifying layer; a base layer beneath the root blocking layer that includes about 50 to about 98% by volume wood chips and about 2 to about 50% by volume biochar; and a liner surrounding at least part of the top layer, the layer of soil, and the base layer.
17 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 16 , wherein the nitrifying layer comprises nitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus , and combinations thereof.
18 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 16 , wherein the base layer comprises denitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Serratia denitrificans, Pseudomonas denitrificans, Achromobacter denitrificans , and combinations thereof.
19 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 16 , wherein the self-generating plants comprise one or more of “Sunshine” vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), Uhaloa Waltheria Indica, Waltheria Americana , Koki'o ke'oke'o Hibiscus arnottianus , Makaloa Cyperus laevigatus , Akakai Schoenoplectiella tabernae , Ahuawa Mariscus javanicus , Ko'oko'olau Bidens torta , llima Sida fallax , Ulei Osteomeles anthyllidifolia , A'ali'i Dodonaea viscosa , Hawaiian tree fern, Hawaiian coral tree, Hawaiian coral reef, lace fern, hibiscus , and combinations thereof.
20 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 16 , wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden reacts with nitrogen-containing compounds and phosphorus-containing compounds in the untreated wastewater effluent to cause the treated wastewater effluent to have a nitrogen content at least about 75% less than a nitrogen content of the initial wastewater effluent entering the bioreactor garden and a phosphorus content at least about 75% less than a phosphorus content of the initial wastewater effluent entering the bioreactor garden.
21 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising an additional treatment system downstream from the bioreactor garden that further denitrifies and purifies the treated wastewater to yield purified wastewater suitable for irrigation.
22 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 21 , wherein the additional treatment system comprises at least one layer formed using biochar and/or sand.
23 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 21 , further comprising a sterilization device downstream from the additional treatment system that yields sterilized wastewater suitable for drinking, cooking, or bathing.
24 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 23 , wherein the sterilization device comprises a source of ultraviolet radiation.
25 . A wastewater treatment system that includes: an initial treatment system adapted to receive untreated wastewater; and a self-regenerating bioreactor garden downstream from and connected in series with the initial treatment system; wherein the self-regenerating bioreactor garden receives initial wastewater effluent from the initial treatment system via a plurality of inlet pipes and releases treated wastewater effluent via one or more collecting pipes and an outlet or no effluent; the self-regenerating bioreactor garden includes an aerobic nitrifying stage and an anaerobic denitrifying stage arranged in series vertically; the nitrifying stage and the denitrifying stage are separated by a permeable root blocking layer; and the bioreactor garden further includes an effluent outlet arranged at a vertical level above the anaerobic denitrifying stage which transmits any remaining treated wastewater effluent from the bioreactor garden to a surrounding environment; wherein the bioreactor garden comprises: a top layer of self-regenerating plants; a nitrifying layer in which the self-regenerating plants grow, wherein the nitrifying layer comprises one or more of soil, concrete sand, basalt aggregate, quartz sand, biochar, granulated activated carbon (GAC), zeolite and crushed glass; a sand layer below the nitrifying layer; the permeable root-blocking layer below the sand layer; and a base layer that includes wood chips and biochar.
26 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 25 , wherein the initial treatment system comprises a septic tank, a group septic system, a primary or secondary package plant, or a primary or secondary wastewater treatment plant.
27 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 25 , wherein the base layer that includes about 50% to about 98% by volume wood chips and about 2% to about 50% by volume biochar; further comprising a liner surrounding at least part of the top layer, the layer of soil, and the base layer.
28 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 25 , wherein the nitrifying layer comprises nitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus , and combinations thereof and the base layer comprises denitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Serratia denitrificans, Pseudomonas denitrificans, Achromobacter denitrificans , and combinations thereof.
29 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 27 , wherein the nitrifying layer comprises nitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus , and combinations thereof and the base layer comprises denitrifying bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Serratia denitrificans, Pseudomonas denitrificans, Achromobacter denitrificans , and combinations thereof.
30 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 25 , wherein the self-generating plants comprise one or more of “Sunshine” vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), Uhaloa Waltheria Indica, Waltheria Americana , Koki'o ke'oke'o Hibiscus arnottianus , Makaloa Cyperus laevigatus , Akakai Schoenoplectiella tabernae , Ahuawa Mariscus javanicus , Ko'oko'olau Bidens torta , lima Sida fallax , Ulei Osteomeles anthyllidifolia , A'ali'i Dodonaeaviscosa, Hawaiian tree fern, Hawaiian coral tree, Hawaiian coral reef, lace fern, hibiscus , and combinations thereof.
31 . The wastewater treatment system of claim 27 , wherein the self-generating plants comprise one or more of “Sunshine” vetiver grass ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), Uhaloa Waltheria Indica, Waltheria Americana , Koki'o ke'oke'o Hibiscus arnottianus , Makaloa Cyperus laevigatus , Akakai Schoenoplectiella tabernae , Ahuawa Mariscus javanicus , Ko'oko'olau Bidens torta , llima Sida fallax , Ulei Osteomeles anthyllidifolia , A'ali'i Dodonaea viscosa , Hawaiian tree fern, Hawaiian coral tree, Hawaiian coral reef, lace fern, hibiscus , and combinations thereof.