Large-scale wastewater treatment systems are the bread and butter for Danny Brown, owner of KESS Environmental Services in Lowndesboro, Ala.

Not a fan of big pipe systems for large new-development neighborhoods, Brown eschews the inter-basin transfers, lack of groundwater recharge and high energy demands that accompany most of these systems. Instead, he prefers to keep the appropriately treated effluent close to its source through the use of drip irrigation as the final stage in the treatment cycle. 

“We are installing systems that are designed to eventually serve as many as 2,500 homes,” he says. That works out to a whopping 2 mgd design flow!

“Yes, we deliver an effluent clean enough for stream discharge, but we prefer the immediate benefits of groundwater recharge.” 

Brown’s typical big system is not typical in all regions nationwide. Sometimes called a community system, they employ a blend of components owned by both property owners and utilities. These systems can serve townhouses or detached single-family homes, provided each owner has title to sufficient land to contain a solids-separation tank in close proximity to the building. The homeowner owns and has responsibility for interior plumbing and the sewer running to the tank. Beyond that connection, a utility has ownership and maintenance responsibilities. 

The large onsite treatment systems Brown installs are often described as innovative and alternate solutions. 

Are big systems gaining popularity in your area? Get the competitive edge with the latest commercial wastewater treatment systems:   

Commercial wastewater treatment plants from Jet Inc. have a modular design, can treat flows from 1,500 to over 300,000 gpd, and allow for phased build-out, making them ideal for commercial developments constructed far from existing wastewater treatment plants. 

AdvanTex AX-Max containerized, fully plumbed, plug-and-play wastewater treatment systems from Orenco Systems are sized for larger commercial and municipal applications. 

The WSB clean pro commercial wastewater treatment system from RH2O North America is available in a wide range of sizes for precast concrete and fiberglass tanks with flows up to 200,000 gpd. 

Bioclere treatment systems from Aquapoint are designed for high nitrification and denitrification performance capability, energy efficiency, ease of operation and small footprint.

Subsurface septic systems from CULTEC Inc. provide increased storage and dispersion of sewage effluent with a splitter valve that separates into four distribution boxes, which then run on top of two 100-foot double rows of CULTEC Contactor 100HD plastic leaching chambers – 54 chambers total. 

The Sabre 16,000 gpd package sequencing batch reactor treatment plant from Earthtek Environmental LLC is designed to meet the stringent BADCT requirements, and can be provided as two separate SBR tanks to handle a large variation between summer and winter flows. 

The Modulair package wastewater treatment system from Norweco has capacities ranging from 1,500 to 500,000 gpd, and is pre-engineered to accommodate current and future treatment needs. 

Scalable cluster treatment technology from Envirocycle USA does not require additional trash or dose tanks, requires no preventive maintenance and is safe for drip tube dispersal.

Small wastewater treatment plants from Delphin Water Systems of America work without chemicals and are safe for the environment.

MyFAST High-Strength Sewage Treatment Plants (HS-STP) from Bio-Microbics are ideal for projects located in environmentally sensitive areas or limitations with groundwater and/or small dispersal field size requirements. 

Chambers from Infiltrator Systems are optimal for shallow installations, providing maximum strength through center structural columns. 

The Enviro-Septic System from Presby Environmental is a passive cluster wastewater treatment system that removes up to 99 percent of wastewater contaminants such as BOD, TSS, TN, TKN and fecal coliform.

The 620C advanced treatment unit from Eliminite can be used for high-strength commercial waste applications. 

Flowtite fiberglass tanks from Containment Solutions are available for both aerobic and anaerobic septic applications. 

Waterloo EC-P phosphorus removal systems from Waterloo Biofilter Systems use an electrochemical processes to replicate naturally iron-rich “B Horizon” soils using any sand, soil or foam filtration medium. 

The PuraMax MBBR from Anua achieves biological treatment through an attached growth process. 

With a footprint 90 percent smaller than a conventional disposal field, the Premier Tech Aqua Ecoprocess MBR treatment station meets the most stringent discharge quality standards, including disinfection, nitrogen reduction and phosphate removal. 

The Geotextile Sand Filter (GSF) advanced wastewater treatment and dispersal system from Eljen Corporation provides treatment and dispersal in the same footprint, while keeping installations easy and maintenance minimal. 

Quanics treatment and dispersal technologies are flexible and adaptable to meet the diverse challenges that commercial and retail developments pose.