Due to environmental reasons, many properties must employ wastewater treatment systems rather than standard septic tank / leach field systems. Primarily, wastewater treatment consists of physical (mechanical), biological and / or chemical / filtration treatment technologies. The type and level of treatment is dependent upon the constituents and makeup of the wastewater and the treatment requirements prescribed by federal, state and / or local regulatory agencies.
Physical / Primary (mechanical) treatment is designed to remove gross, suspended and floating solids from raw sewage. It includes screening to trap solid objects and sedimentation by gravity (septic tank) to remove suspended solids. Primary treatment is usually the fist stage of wastewater treatment. Many advanced wastewater treatment plants have started with primary treatment, and have then added other treatment stages as wastewater load has increased and as the need for higher levels of treatment have been prescribes.
Biological (Secondary) treatment removes the dissolved organic matter that escapes primary treatment. This is achieved by microbes consuming the organic matter as food, and converting it to carbon dioxide, water, and energy for their own growth and reproduction. The biological process is then followed by additional settling tanks. PureFlo currently operates and maintains secondary treatment technologies which include many technological approaches. PureFlo has the requisite wastewater operator certification, as required by individual stated, to take care of any treatment system you have
Chemical / Filtration (Tertiary) treatment is additional treatment beyond secondary. Tertiary treatment can remove more than 99 percent of all the impurities from sewage, producing an effluent of nearly drinking-water quality. The related technology can be very expensive, requiring a high level of technical know-how and well trained treatment plant operators, a steady energy supply, and chemicals and specific equipment which may not be readily available. As examples, this could include chemical addition for removal of phosphorous and / or nitrogen, high level filtration for removal of nearly all solids and organic matter, and disinfection, typically chlorine based, for pathogen / fecal coliform reduction.
