A Solution for Challenging Sites

This company swears by ATUs that can be installed in a wide variety of soil conditions
A Solution for Challenging Sites
Brandon Thompson, owner of Bayshore Construction

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Brandon Thompson, owner of Bay Shore Construction in Olympia, Washington, says his company has installed every type of advanced treatment unit that’s approved in the state. That includes the Glendon Biofilter.

The company installs 50 to 100 new and replacement onsite systems per year, in a wide variety of soil conditions. A substantial number call for some form of advanced treatment. Bay Shore Construction has manufacturer certifications to install the Glendon Biofilter in all five counties where it does business. 

The technology thus far is approved for use in a limited geographic area that includes Washington and parts of Oregon. “It’s a proprietary system that can be used in almost any application,” says Thompson.

The system was invented in Kitsap County, Washington, a coastal peninsula with many streams, ponds and lakes. Soils there range from very gravelly to glacial till that is as hard as concrete. Most of the soils are shallow, making traditional onsite systems difficult to design and install. Glenn Helm, an onsite installer, and Don Vandervelde, a registered sanitarian, developed the system and founded Glendon Biofilter Technologies.

Testing and experience have shown the systems to be suitable for repairs where space for replacement of an existing system is limited. The system also has saved many building lots from being abandoned because of poor soil conditions, according to the company website.

The biofilter system consists of a septic tank whose effluent is delivered by a small pump (the only moving part) to one or more concrete tanks containing sand and gravel media and topped by a mound of sand. Septic tank effluent is introduced at intervals of several minutes at the bottom of the filter tank and flows up through the media, which is coated by a film of microorganisms that break down organic material.

Water leaving the open-top tank wicks through the sand or evaporates. The company says the system produces effluent cleaner than most natural surface waters. It is well suited for high-water-table sites and shallow soils, and for sites near wetlands, shorelines and protected areas. System operation is regulated by an intrusion-proof control panel. The process uses no chemicals and requires no disinfection.

The systems are designed for low maintenance and minimal power consumption. They require significantly less space than traditional drainfields and allow design flexibility on confined sites, according to company information.

Read more about Brandon Thompson and Bay Shore Construction in the July issue of Onsite Installer.



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