SOME FACTS & FIGURES
Sewage Treatment Fundamentals
Raw or Crude domestic sewage is typically defined by the Biochemical
Oxygen Demand over a 5 day period (BOD5) and the Total Suspended
Solids (TSS) each defined as having 250 mg/l.
Service/Maintenance
The inspection service to be performed by a Registered Onsite
Wastewate Practitioner (ROWP) in B.C.
Service is simplicity itself
Cleaning of intake filer of the Air Pump is the only regular service
to the TYPE2 Systems.
There are no submerged sewage pumps, no filters, and no moving
parts inside the Whitewater Unit to be removed, replaced, or cleaned.
Solids in Suspension Removal
Ask your Maintenance Provider to check for the need to have the
tank's contents removed.
Warranty
Canwest Tanks provides a warranty for all tanks and parts manufactured
by us for four (4) years, covering materials and workmanship.
There is a two (2) years manufacturers warranty on the Air Pump.
Any additional devices are covered by the manufacturers warranty
Appearance
The Whitewater Treatment Plant is
typically buried in-ground (above ground models available). At
the surface you may have one (1) 4” diameter vent cap and
one (1) 24” diameter service access hatch just below the
surface.
Air Pumps
The only moving and serviceable part is the air pump which is
placed outside the Whitewater Unit.
It can be located inside the basement, crawl space, garage or
a small outdoor weatherproof enclosure.
The air pump can be placed up to 100 ft. away from the Whitewater
Unit (further if necessary - contact factory
for information)
There are two types of air pumps provided as standard equipment.
Linear Air Pumps are with Models DF50, DF60, DF75. The Rotary
Vane type for the Models DF100 and DF150 with the Linear type
available as an option. Both types are equally maintenance free;
no need to oil them, and no belts to replace. Just clean the filter
with regular intervals, so that the pump can breathe.
Approvals (Click
here for provincial details - Acrobat file (pdf)
)
The Whitewater Sewage Treatment Plant
is approved for use in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario as well as in the USA. In
Ontario the Whitewater System is listed in the Ontario Building
Code under both Secondary and Tertiary.
The National Sanitation Foundation International, accredited
by the Standards Council of Canada, has certified theWhitewater
System under Standard 40 Class One. Electrical Components
are CSA and CUL certified.
WHITEWATER
SEWAGE TEREATMENT PROCESS METHOD
The Whitewater Sewage Treatment Plant
utilizes activated sludge process, with extended aeration..
This defines the Whitewater as taking
advantage of the inherent sewage treatment benefits gained in
both of these processes.
The Activated Sludge Process has the accumulated sludge, which
is 99% active with living healthy and hungry microorganisms, returned
back into the main digestion chamber. The benefit gained in this
process is two fold.
One is that the new incoming sewage is immediately attacked by
the microorganisms present in the activated sludge, and they will
immidiately begin to absorb (digest) the nutrients in the wastewater.
The quick action, a result of the high oxygen content in the wastewater,
speeds along the absorption (digestion) process, creating an accelerated
and enhanced sewage treatment, resulting in the effluent having
low BOD and SS, while being high in dissolved oxygen (DO).
The second benefit gained is, that as the ammonia from urine
converts to Nitrate then to Nitrite, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)
is organic nitrogen (NH3) and ammonia (NH4+), which in wastewater
leaving a domestic residence averages of about 38 mg/l with 32%
(or 12 mg/l) in the ammonium (NH4+) form.
Nitrification is an aerobic reaction performed primarily by obligate
autotrophic organisms and nitrate (NO3-) is the predominant end
product. Nitrification can therefore be expressed as:
NH4- NO2- NO3-the activated sludge return process passes the Nitrite
through an anoxic state allowing for the conversion to nitrogen
gas which is then vented out of the system.
This creates the reduction
of the Nitrate level from the typical septic tank effluent of
35 mg/l (or ppm), and from the typical secondary sewage treatment
plant of 25 mg/l (or ppm) to the Whitewater
tertiary level of less than 10 mg/l (or ppm).
The location of the activated sludge return in the Whitewater
plant, is at the lower portion of the upwelling Clarifier and
the top of settling solids return Pyramid.
Extended Aeration Process has atmospheric air under pressure
being introduced by linear or rotary vane compressor into the
digestion chamber (also known as the aeration chamber). The digestion
chamber is the first chamber that the crude sewage enters in the
Whitewater Plant.
The arrangement of the air lines inside the digestion chamber
causes the influent sewage and the returned activated sludge to
be constantly mixed together in what is then called the mixed
liquor. Solids are not permitted to settle in the digestion chamber.
The oxygen in the atmospheric air being released into the mixed
liquor activates micro-organisms known as aerobes.
The aerobes are excited into the absorption and digestion process
by the infused oxygen, and the product of their digestion is CO2
and water. This extended aeration process is constant, 24 hours
a day.
The beneficial results of this extended aeration process is also
mainly two fold:
- One is that there are no hydrogen sulfide or methane gases
produced.
- The other is that the efficiency of the Aerobic Absorption
Process is accelerated and enhanced, resulting in lower BOD5
and SS levels, while maintaining high DO levels.
LARGER
FLOW RATES
There are Whitewater Systems available
for flows greater than 22,730 litres (5,000 imp. gals.) per day
. Contact Canwest for details.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
The Whitewater System was approved
by the Ministry of Health, Public Health Protection Branch in
1994. Canwest Tanks began marketing the Whitewater System
throughout BC in 1995 and manufacturing in 1996.
Canwest has sold and manufactured more than 5,000 units for B.C.
The Ministry of Health, Sewage
Regulation lists three (3) types
of installation approved for disposal of domestic waste:
TYPE1 System
Is a conventional Septic Tank & Dispersal Field system.
The Sewerage Regulation outlines the setbacks, ground and soil
conditions that determines whether a conventional septic tank
& dispersal field can be used.
The dispersal field size may be reduced by up to 66%, depending
on soil and /or site specific conditions, when installing a
TYPE2 system.
This is typically used in applications where small lot sizes,
poor soil or setbacks is a problem.
TYPE2 System
A Whitewater Package Sewage Treatment
Plant is installed as the primary receptacle & aerobic
treatment unit for domestic wastewater.
The system (tanks) generally consist of:
Trash Tank, Optional but strongly recommended,.
The Whitewater Sewage Treatment Plant,
c/w Aeration Blower & the aeration assembly installed into
unit.
Discharge Pump package, if other than gravity flow to field.
A disposal field will still be required, however, as mentioned
above, may be greatly reduced.
TYPE3 System
The WHITEWATER TYPE3 System is an extension of the Whitewater
System, and is used in applications where.the effluent
quality must meet specific criteria
A TYPE3 system must be designed by a professional (P.Eng.) with
experience in environmental matters.
|
Description
of the Whitewater System
