Maximizing total nitrogen removal from onsite-generated wastewater

The research reported here examined the use of hydraulic loading strategies to maximize nitrogen removal from onsite-generated wastewater. These strategies are made practical by the inherently intermittent flow of onsite-generated wastewater. Experimentation was conducted at the Western Regional Wastewater Pretreatment Facility in Montgomery County, Ohio, with an established, full-scale onsite wastewater treatment system rated at 500 gallons per day. The onsite wastewater treatment unit was fed primarily with domestic wastewater that had passed through fine screens and grit removal. The dosing schedule was intermittent, representing what would be expected from onsite-generated wastewater. Oxidation occurred in the aeration tank and potentially on the solid-liquid filtration socks within the aeration tank. All major wastewater characterization parameters were monitored during the approximately one-year study, including five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD;), total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate, total nitrogen, pH, and alkalinity. Excellent removal of BOD5 and TSS resulted, with the effluent concentration of each parameter substantially and consistently below 10 mg/L for all operating conditions. Excellent total nitrogen removal occurred, typically to below 10 mg/L of nitrogen when the instantaneous flow of wastewater was low, even when the daily hydraulic loading was high. The removal of nitrogen was attributed to microbial biodegradation. This result indicates that the onsite wastewater treatment unit has an inherent denitrification capacity that can be matched with an equalized-hydraulic-loading strategy. The practical ability to equalize and reduce instantaneous loading results from the inherently intermittent nature of the flow associated with onsite wastewater treatment.