In the mid 1990s, Gig and Trina Drewery, owners of RioVation, were working in the onsite wastewater industry designing and manufacturing aerobic treatment units. They sought to help septic systems and drainfields that were failing due to biomat clogging.

“Traditional septic tanks only perform about 40% of wastewater treatment inside the tank,” says Gig Drewery. “So effluent is still 60% untreated when it flows into the drainfield, where the treatment continues in the soil.” Using his background in design and manufacturing of NSF 40 aerobic treatment units, Drewery began looking into ways to treat effluent further before it enters the drainfield.

The result of his research is the BioMaze Fixed Film Media, a kit that can convert an anaerobic septic tank into a biofilm reactor, which Drewery says performs more than 90% of the treatment inside the tank. “This makes the effluent clear and odorless, thus better for the drainfield and the environment,” he says.

According to RioVation, BioMaze kits are currently best suited for the individual residential onsite wastewater treatment market and designed for easy installation into almost any state-approved septic tank. By converting the existing septic tank into a biofilm reactor, the effluent becomes high in dissolved oxygen, killing problem-causing microbes in the soil.

“The failing drainfield will be rejuvenated, brought back to life and protected against future failures,” says Drewery. “The drainfields, if clogged with biomat, will be recovered in a few weeks to a few months.”

Drewery says BioMaze can also be installed proactively to keep drainfields from clogging with biomat. It is currently offered in three kit sizes — the model BM2611 can treat up to 240 gpd, the BM2622 up to 400 gpd and the BM2624 will serve systems up to 750 gpd.

Making sure the product fulfilled its desired result took years of trials. Drewery says the product has been through extensive research and development as well as field and third-party testing. Drewery says installers and homeowners have been impressed with the quality of the effluent after installing BioMaze.

“One of our installers put a BioMaze BM2624 at a home with standing sewage that had surfaced above the failed drainfield,” he says. “He said upon returning to check on it after just a few weeks, the effluent was completely clear and odorless, and the standing water had already dried up.” 903-215–8855; www.riovation.com