Commercial On-site & Decentralized Wastewater Treatment & Dispersal Systems (WWETT Show 2023)

Commercial on-site systems require specialized designs and installations. The wastewater chemistry, volumes, and generation patterns can be very different to domestic on-site installations. This presentation will use a variety of case studies to demonstrate the different design principles used for commercial on-site systems.  The case studies will include Recreational Vehicle Parks, Taverns, Wineries, Eco-Villages, Sports Grounds, and Music Festival sites.

Different types of treatment units will be examined, and their advantages and disadvantages will be discussed.  Dispersal techniques will also be scrutinized. The maintenance requirements of the various treatment and dispersal systems will be discussed.

The complications of intermittent wastewater generation will be examined. The importance of odor control and minimizing risks to members of the general public will be explained. The importance of odour control and minimizing risks to members of the general public will be explained.

Some sites are very difficult to install an on-site wastewater system on due to environmental set-back regulations and local constraints. The available land for a dispersal area may be very close to a drinking water supply, or an aquifer or recreational lake, or the site may have very unsuitable soils or only a small land area available.

Quite often designers are left with no viable options on these types of sites other than holding tanks where the wastewater is all trucked off-site.

No-Release systems don't discharge treated water into the soil and groundwater environment.

They use the evapotranspiration from plants grown in containers or lined beds to disperse the treated water into the atmosphere. There are a number of different types of No-Release systems used across the world. The cost of no-release systems means that are most often installed at commercial sites. The aim of this presentation is to show how commercial on-site systems differ from domestic installations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify how commercial on-site wastewater systems differ to domestic installations

2. Identify the key criteria required to design a commercial on-site and/or decentralized wastewater treatment system

3. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of commercial on-site treatment and dispersal techniques

4. Assess the benefits of a passive and/or low input treatment system being used in comparison to package treatment plants

Speakers: Ben Kele, Water Treatment Consultant at Arris Water; Tim Woods, Associate at Arris Water; Michael Short, Water and Environmental Consultant at Consultant