Drought-prone areas need to handle water a little differently than areas where it’s abundant. Technology for water reuse is vital for the sustainability of the resource.
BioMicrobics developed the BioBarrier, a wastewater treatment system that uses a membrane bioreactor specifically for water reuse with the intent of offering customers in areas of frequent drought a solution.
“That was the intended audience anyway,” says Joseph Rebori, manager of inquiries and engineering for the company. “But we saw that commercial property owners who were unable to tap into municipal sewer systems needed decentralized, onsite wastewater treatment and were willing to look at membrane bioreactor technology due to its high-performance capabilities.”
Rebori also says that aside from its intended use and traction with commercial properties, the BioBarrier MBR is most commonly used by installers dealing with significant limitations like small drainfields, close proximity to a water body, poor soils, or areas that require a high level of treatment before discharge.
“Rebuilds or renovations on existing properties is a prime example,” Rebori says. “The lot size is established, but let’s say the house/business is too small in its current footprint and the owners need or want to build a larger structure. We see a lot of this especially on lakes, where a lake house may have been a two-season structure, but then the owners want a four-season, larger structure.”
There are two versions of the BioBarrier available, varying in size for different applications. The standard models can treat ranges of 500 to 3,000 gpd, while High Strength BioBarriers are capable of ranges from 1,500 to 9,000 gpd. If higher Total Nitrogen reduction than the standard offerings provide is needed, BioMicrobics offers versions to accommodate.
Installation involves placing the membrane modules inside the septic tank, plumbing the module effluent tubing to the outlet tank, and air piping from the blower to the module. “The membrane module is installed through the riser in a tank that is already set,” Rebori says. “The membrane component is the size of a carry-on suitcase. It fits through a manhole so it’s pretty easy to handle.” Once that’s done, installers just need to hook up electrical components.
Rebori says the BioBarrier has been well-received with the installer community. “We see that MBR technology may be unfamiliar technology to installers at first, but when they see it in action, they immediately want to know more about it,” he says. 800-753-3278; biomicrobics.com
