Aquarobic Mini-Plant System Operation
The Mini-Plant is a Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) system programmed by a factory set timer, which regulates aeration, settling and pump functions. The system discharges a batch of aerobically (highly treated effluent averaging 7 BOD & 11 SS) through a forward flush 100 micron spin filter. The spin filter further reduces the suspended solids to less than 10 ml/l, prior to discharge to the drip irrigation system.
The Aquarobic Mini-Plant program aerates for 20 hours a day, supplying the wastewater with fine diffused air from 6 A.M. until 2 A.M. the following morning. At 2 A.M. the program turns off the compressor and a 3 hour quiescent settling period follows. During this period, the aeration tank becomes the settling tank (clarifier) and the batch process uses this time to separate the solids from the clear supernatant.
After the Mini-Plant's perfectly quiescent 3 hours settling period, the clear supernatant (effluent) is discharged (8 minutes "on" and 2 minutes "off" 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.) to the spin filter, further polishing prior to passing through to the K valve and into one of the drip irrigation zones. During the 2 minute "off" period, the K valve switches to the next zone. The process repeats until the low water float switch turns the effluent pump "off" or the one-hour period expires. The tank capacity is always three times the daily wastewater flow.
The Aquarobic International, Inc. / Clearwater drip system forward flushes the spin filter while the pump is activated. Each zone has a 15-pound spring-loaded check valve at the return manifold; as the zone becomes pressurized the check valve opens allowing a continuous forward flushing of the zone back to the front of the Mini-Plant tank, for the remaining 8-minute "on" cycle.
The program restarts the daily cycle which further digests both the retained organic solids and incoming wastewater.
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