Problem: In 2017, after one year of monitoring by the local county health department and the State Department of Health, it was determined that the waste strength loading was too high at Huber’s Orchard and Winery in Starlight, Indiana. A new mound system and an additional pretreatment system was needed to lower the waste strength prior to discharge to the mounds.

Solution: Zoeller Pump offered design assistance and components for a new mound system to treat wastewater from numerous structures. The company recommended a recirculating media filter treatment system installed between existing septic tanks and the mound system. RMF treatment systems are similar to recirculating sand filters with the main difference being the size of the treatment media, which is typically 3/8-inch diameter pea gravel instead of sand media. A local engineer designed the new RMF at 4,000 gpd using a waste strength of approximately 700 mg/L BOD5, which required a 30- by 30-foot RMF. Commissioning of the RMF was done in October 2019. 

Result: After one month, the new RMF was treating wastewater efficiently, meeting the objective of effectively pretreating effluent prior to discharge to the mound system. Samples collected averaged 10.5 mg/L BOD5 and 2.3 mg/L TSS. 502-778-2731; www.zoellerpumps.com