Advanced and proprietary treatment systems

Gravity versus pressure distribution

A gravity system relies on slope: effluent flows from the tank to the drainfield and spreads through the lines on its own. It is simple and durable, but it loads the field unevenly and needs good vertical separation between the trench bottom and any restrictive layer or water table.

Pressure distribution adds a pump chamber and doses the field in timed, even pulses through small diameter laterals with drilled orifices. Every square foot of the field gets the same load, which lets the soil treat effluent reliably where there is less of it to work with. The gravel bed and lateral manifold in the photo above is exactly this kind of field, built by us.

Aerobic treatment units and media filters

An aerobic treatment unit, often just called an aerator, bubbles air through the wastewater so oxygen-breathing bacteria can break down waste far faster and more completely than the sealed, airless environment of a standard tank. The result leaving the unit is much cleaner, which is why counties accept ATUs on sites where a conventional field would not pass.

Media filter chambers do a similar job a different way: effluent trickles through a bed of engineered filter media where fixed bacteria colonies clean it before it moves on to the soil. No single technology wins everywhere. Soil, site and design decide.

UV disinfection

Where a design calls for disinfection, a UV unit passes the treated effluent over an ultraviolet lamp that kills pathogens without adding any chemicals to the ground. UV lamps have a service life and need periodic replacement, which is one of the reasons advanced systems carry ongoing maintenance requirements.

NuWater and OSCAR

NuWater and OSCAR are proprietary packaged treatment systems approved for use in Washington. Each combines treatment stages into a manufactured unit with its own design rules, and installing one correctly means following the manufacturer's specs to the letter, from bedding and plumbing to control wiring. We install and service both.

If your designer has specified one of these systems, send the design over. We will quote it as specified and explain, in person, how the system works and what its maintenance schedule looks like.

Maintenance is part of the deal

Advanced systems keep marginal sites buildable, but they are machines, and Washington counties require ongoing operation and monitoring for them. Pumps, floats, air compressors and UV lamps all need checking. Go in with open eyes: an advanced system is a commitment to look after it, and we tell every customer that before they sign anything.