A short comparison of advanced wastewater treatment systems

Three main concerns clients express when exploring options for onsite wastewater treatment systems:

• What is the initial cost?
• Is the system reliable?
• What are the O&M Costs?

In reality O&M costs and system reliability are opposite sides of the same coin.   First consider the two main classes of onsite systems: 

• Fixed film
• Suspended growth

Fixed film systems include Eliminite, textile filters, peat bogs, sand filters, upholstery foam and others.   Suspended growth systems do not have nearly the wide variety of bright ideas as the fixed film systems and are really just aerated septic tanks.  

If you ask people familiar with the industry you will find that suspended growth onsite systems are notoriously unreliable.  I am not arbitrarily slamming these systems, it is just a fact that when you use an undersized septic tank, dump into it all the liquid, solids and grease and bubble air into the resulting "soup" you are going to have problems.  The only positive aspect of these aerated septic tanks is that they are cheap!   But, once an owner has one of these installed, there is a reasonable probability that the permit limits will never be met.  The unreliability of suspended growth onsite systems has caused many manufacturers to turn towards fixed film systems.

The first Eliminite was installed in early 1994.  At that time most of the advanced onsite systems were suspended growth systems.  There were no textile filters...the main purveyor of these systems was busy selling sand filters.  Foam upholstery cubes were unheard of and most of the peat was still in the bog.  I am being facetious to a degree but you get my point, the industry was dominated by suspended growth systems.  Maybe this is one reason why there was such a huge push in the 1970's and 1980's to sewer everything; it was a well accepted concept that onsite systems simply did not work.

Fixed film systems changed that.  But, what is the most important thing that has to be provided to a fixed film system for it to function?  Well wastewater of course...second most important thing then?....AIR.  If air cannot get to the biofilm, the system is going to have problems, period.  Now think.....Imagine laying on you back and having someone shovel two feet of saturated peat on your face.  Can you breathe?   Probably not, and you have the benefit of a diaphragm muscle expanding your chest cavity to allow air to be forced into your lungs in response to atmospheric pressure.   Microorganisms growing on the surface of the wet peat do not have diaphragm muscles.  How about textiles?  At about 1/2 inch thick these fabric sheets also become saturated with liquid effectively blocking the free diffusion of air to the biofilm.  Eliminite uses our proprietary MetaRocks as the medium to which microorganisms attach.  When dosed with wastewater,  MetaRocks allow the development of a thin liquid film across their surface.  A film sufficiently thin to allow efficient oxygen diffusion into the biofilm.  But that is not all....the size and shape of the MetaRocks allows air to move freely and if we go back to the example of trying to breathe through wet MetaRocks you will see that the large pores allow free air movement.  In fact, even as the biofilm develops on the surface, the pores remain open and available to unhindered passage of air.  This is not the case with the other fixed film media.  Think about it.  Their tiny pore spaces quickly become closed off due to inevitable biofouling.  The only thing to do then is to pull the filter media out and clean it.   MetaRocks do not require cleaning.  So back to the point,O&M.

Do you suppose that maintenance costs will increase if the saturated, dirty media has to be removed and cleaned regularly?  Will the maintenance costs be lower for a system that has already considered the potential for biological fouling?  Why do some systems have such large lids/covers?  These big covers are expensive and a manufacturer would not add them (and their additional cost) unless they were absolutely necessary.  But they are not necessary to get the media IN, they are necessary to get the media OUT for cleaning or replacement.   Eliminite MetaRocks were designed to address and overcome the issue of biological fouling.

Look at the photo of the MetaRocks in the tank (click on it to enlarge the photo) and notice the huge interstitial openings.  These wide open passages allow air to move freely.  They also accommodate a wide range of hydraulic loading meaning the system can handle varying waste strength and flow.  We measured the hydraulic capacity of the media at over 200 gallons per ft^2 per minute.  At that rate flushing (even though I have never seen a situation where it has been necessary) is as easy as opening a valve.

Another really useful feature of MetaRocks is that they are lightweight and free-flowing.  This means that you can build larger systems by using larger tanks.  Think about that for a minute and compare an Eliminite system treating 5000 or 10000 gallons to a peat system or textile filter.   The Eliminite system can be built in one tank, two tanks, you choose.  The peat and textile configurations are only available as a daisy-chain of little toy pods strung together.  Which option sounds easier and less expensive to build and maintain:  a single central treatment plant or a spread out maze of little parts and pieces?

Eliminite Advanced Treatment Systems Produce Superior Results for Less Money

As many of you know, Eliminite was developed in Bozeman, Montana (Oh, and for the record, it is snowing horizontally today in Bozeman).  A unique challenge presented by this fact is that it is cold here and it stays cold for a significant part of the year.  I know it can get just as cold in say, Wisconsin, but the difference and probably more important is the length of the growing season not just the lowest reported temperature.  The growing season is very short in Bozeman....Last year I had a garden full of frozen, green, cold weather tomatoes to prove it....My point is, the climate in Montana provides a harsh proving ground for our onsite systems.  So when I provide data showing our system produce total nitrogen concentrations in the low to mid teens, those systems are in Montana.  If you hunt you can find Montana results for some of the competing systems, for instance, the textile filters average around 30 mg/l total nitrogen(when they are working).  Our results are about two times better and our cost is about half as much as a typical textile system(This means you will be at least 4 times happier with an Eliminite system than a textile system.  Unless of course you already own a textile system...then nothing short of winning the PowerBall Lottery can make you happy!).  The aerated septic tank systems (you know, the ones with blowers and compressors and fans) total nitrogen results are abysmal.  I feel sorry for a homeowner that gets duped into buying one of the aerated septic tank systems thinking that they are going to meet state nitrogen standards.  There will probably be more than a few lawsuits once homeowners become aware of the fact that the stinky, noisy thing in their backyard has never met their septic system permit requirements. (You don't have to take my word for it...just ask around)  But back to my point.   Eliminite has been steadily growing and moving into new areas.  New Mexico is one such area.

We have several system installed in New Mexico and have been receiving nitrogen numbers for those systems.  This is interesting to me because it is really the first time we have installed Eliminite systems is a less severe climate.  (We have quite a few in Colorado but those are in the mountains at 7000 ft and above where it is cold.  The nitrogen numbers from these systems are generally in the low teens with the exception of several of the community systems....these are single digit systems.)  Here are some numbers from a residential system in NM.
3/15/10  TN ~58 mg/l
3/24/10  TN ~40 mg/l
4/16/10  TN ~9.5 mg/l
The numbers improved in response to an operational change I made.  I expect them to improve on the next sampling run. 

Another system in NM reports total nitrogen of about 8 mg/l.  These are real systems serving real homes with real wastewater.  And can you guess how many alarms we have received from them since thay have been installed?  ZERO.  Not one alarm....and no washing of textiles...no fluffing little foam cubes....no shoveling feculent peat, no wood chips to replace.  No "maintenance".  Just Inspections as required by the permit.  Now I know the "experts" scream that onsite systems require perpetual operation and maintenance contracts in order to function (most of them don't function even with the perpetual operation and maintenance contract) but the fact is any system requiring this level of maintenance, such as needing to be connected to a dedicated telephone line 24 hours a day, is simply an unreliable system.  Eliminite is reliable and simple to maintain because it was designed to be that way.  I get the sense that other manufacturers deliberately designed unreliable systems in order to develop an additional cash stream resulting from the maintenance contracts.  It is similar to the cell phone company giving you the cell phone if you sign up for the contract....but that's just my opinion.

Eliminite to provide advanced wastewater treatment for 33 lot development in Ravalli County Montana

This project had been approved by the State with a competing wastewater system but when the time came to start building, the owner decided to tell the competition that he was not going to use the XXXXXXXX but rather, decided to install Eliminite.  The distributor of the XXXXXXXX whined about how he had been involved with the project for several years and now that it was done the developer was cutting him out.  To be fair, the developer did not want to install the USED equipment the distributor quoted and, this is pretty bad, the distributor, in order to get his price down, did not include manufacturer and State required components in his cost estimate.  In other words, it was like he gave a quote for a car but failed to mention that that quote did not include an engine or air bags.  (This is not the first time they have tried to deceive an owner in order to make the sale)

Our quote was fair and, this is cool, about the same cost as the competitors "modified" system.  So, even when they resort to these tactics, they cannot beat our prices or our quality. 

From the data I have available, it looks like Eliminite has overtaken the big competitor in Montana. (Look out Colorado and New Mexico XXXXXXXX dealers because you're next!)  I am pretty sure the tide has turned and engineers, developers and homeowners have realized that we have the best products and the best prices.  Engineers that still specify the other guys equipment are in for a shock when their clients find out about Eliminite.  The developer I mentioned above was pretty upset with his engineers for not calling out Eliminite on their plans.  They may not realize it but this omission has a real backlash effect and will probably hurt their business down the road because when the owner discovers that Eliminite is an alternative to the XXXXXXXX and the engineer did not make the owner aware, Eliminite gets the job and the engineer gets fired.

Septic tanks and politics??

This is a comment from a "concerned citizen" regarding septic tank sizing in Montana (DEQ-4 is a design circular put out by the state):

"DEQ4-2004 uses 2.25 times the design flow, which falls within the EPA recommendation of 2-3 times. If anything, it is low."

What the "concerned citizen" is saying is that if the design flow, which we all know is almost always overstated, is, for instance, 5000 gal/day, then the current corresponding septic tank volume of 11,250 gallons is not sufficient.  The "concerned citizen" suggests that much of the extra volume is required for sludge and scum storage.  This may be true but permit conditions generally require a pumping interval of 3-5 years so there will not be much accumulation anyway.  Design flows for homes in the Circular are so grossly overblown that a 10 lot subdivision on a cluster system could easily wind up with a  12,000 to 15,000 gallon septic tank in front of an advanced treatment unit.  This really makes no sense if one considers the actual expected flow of about 1800 GPD at full buildout and 100% occupancy.  The fact of the matter is, the "concerned citized" is also the distributor of one brand of large fiberglass tank commonly used as a septic tank.  This citizen benefits directly from a regulation that requires other citizens to install larger and larger septic tanks in their communities.  He has, in fact, suggested that a reasonable septic tank volume should be 3 to 4 times the daily design flow.  This number results in a whopper of a tank and probably sends him and his kids on a 3 week vacation to Hawaii!  I happen to think that is disgraceful to lobby for such extreme excesses under the guise of environmental concern when the real goal is much less noble: sell more big tanks.  Lets face it, a bigger septic tank ahead of an advanced treatment unit dosen't do a damn thing extra for the environment beyond what a reasonably sized septic tank will do.  It just costs the people buying it to pay more money.  Furthermore, Montana's DEQ is really part of the problem.  One DEQ employee recently, at a public meeting, scoffed at the notion that she would have any concern for how additional regulations impact the public's ability to pay for the increased infrastructure.  She was saying, in essence,  that she does not care if it costs more to build the system, it is simply not her concern.   I think this is the wrong approach and if the govt is going to impose additional regulations that will result in additional expense, there better be a compelling reason for the new regulation beyond the phony concern for the environment by a "concerned citizen".  But that's just my opinion.

5000 GPD Eliminite System Serves Church and School

We installed two 620's and a 12,000 gallon precast concrete tank that will serve a church and a school.  I discussed the use of the big precast concrete tank with the engineer and the owners decided to use it instead of the more common and more expensive fiberglass alternative.  These concrete tanks are available in sizes from about 500 gallons to 40,000 gallons and are considerably less expensive to purchase and install than fiberglass tanks largely due to the fact that the bedding and backfill requirements are so much  less stringent.  The combination of Eliminite 620's and precast concrete primary tank saved the owner tens of thousands of dollars over the our competition.So if cost is an issue(and it is ALWAYS an issue), you really need to check out our prices and compare them to the other manufacturers costs.  I am told that we ALWAYS come in less expensive.   We beat the competitions price for a highway rest area wastewater treatment system in Montana by somewhere around $40,000 last week. Obviously we got the job.

Thes concrete tanks arealso great for water storage, fire ponds etc.

If you need a reference, I will be glad to provide one for you.

None dare call it conspiracy

Taken from KTVM News

Caynon Elementary Will Stay Open for Now

Julie Rogers (03/10/2010)

The Canyon Elementary School in Hungry Horse has one year to hope for a miracle.
The school district faces a half a million dollar shortfall in next year's budget. School board members considered closing the Canyon School. But, they decided to keep it open for at least a year. The board will lay off a part-time principal, cut one and a half teaching positions, and three other jobs.

Even at that, the board thinks the school will likely close, but they'll use this year to prepare.


The new septic system represents 40% of the budget shortfall. 

It is a recognition of Eliminite's superiority.

You saw it here first!!!   Our C Series onsite wastewater treatment systems.  We carefully designed them and have been perfecting them for years.  Now I see that our big "competitor" has decided to try to copy the Eliminite system.  HA HA!  An act Desperation?  Engineers, installers, developers, homeowners have been choosing Eliminite over the "big guys" at an incredible rate.  They had to do something to stop the bleeding...so ....the easiest thing to do was to TRY to copy Eliminite.   Thank you guys!  You flatter us.  To think our little company, our detailed designs being scrutinized by such a BIG company not with the intention of building something better...something cheaper...something more reliable.  Couldn't they one-up us? Come up with a better idea than we did? Improve the thing?  At least when Japanese companies copied U.S. auto makers products they tried to improve the product!  If you study it you will see that the copy is actually a pretty bad copy.  A desperate copy.   A cry for help.  The fact is, people are getting sick and tired of their unreliable, high maintenance, overpriced rube goldberg gizmos.  Take a look at the original and see whay it is still the best value in onsite wastewater treatment. 

Here is a quote from General Contractor...I received this in my email yesterday for a 3000 gal/day project. 

"I think I can finally put the issue of which system to use to bed. I’m sure both systems would work but when I look at budget cost Eliminite is much cheaper. Therefore please proceed with the design based on the Eliminite system."

I will provide contact info if you ask.   Oh...I almost forgot...we will be rolling out 6 new models in about a week.  So you "big guys" better stock up on tracing paper!!! HA HA HA!