Waste and wastewater treatment and recycling system

• US 6,383,369 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Equaris Corporation
• Original Assignee: Equaris Corporation
• Inventors: Elston, Clint R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRY, CHESTER T
• Application Number:
  US09/964,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 210/86, 210/87, 210/104, 210/150, 210/173, 210/180, 210/188, 210/195.2, 210/220
• US Class Current: 210/86
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/04 by distillation or evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/002 Grey water, e.g. from clothes washers, showers or dishwashers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/005 Black water originating from toilets
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 O2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/02 Aerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A waste and wastewater treatment and recycling system separates blackwater and greywater at their respective sources and includes a waste separation system for decomposing the blackwater into water vapor and carbon dioxide gas, a wastewater treatment system for circulating, aerating, and separating the greywater into precipitated solid matter and treated water, and a filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system for filtering and disinfecting the treated water to form recyclable water. The precipitated solid matter is transferred to the waste separation system and the recyclable water is passed through a membrane filtration system to form potable water. A monitoring system monitors and controls operation of the waste separation system, the wastewater treatment system, and the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system.

Claims

1. A waste and wastewater treatment and recycling system, comprising:

a waste separation system including;

a compost chamber,

an air inlet, an exhaust outlet, and at least one waste inlet communicating with the compost chamber,

at least one agitator positioned within the compost chamber below the at least one waste inlet, and

at least one conveyor positioned within the compost chamber below the at least one agitator;

a wastewater treatment system including;

a surge chamber, an aeration chamber, and a clarification chamber communicating in-line and providing a gravity flow therethrough,

a wastewater inlet communicating with the surge chamber, and

a sludge removal system communicating with the compost chamber of the waste separation system and at least one of the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers; and

a filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system including;

a holding chamber,

a treated wastewater inlet communicating with the holding chamber and the clarification chamber of the wastewater treatment system,

a filter array communicating with and in-line after the holding chamber,

a disinfection system communicating with and in-line after the holding chamber, and

a reservoir communicating with and in-line after the disinfection system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one waste inlet of the waste separation system includes at least one of a toilet waste inlet adapted to communicate with a toilet and a kitchen waste inlet adapted to communicate with a garbage disposal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the compost chamber of the waste separation system includes a liquid collection area formed along a base thereof, and wherein the waste separation system further includes:

a liquid dispersion system disposed within the compost chamber, the liquid dispersion system including a pump communicating with the liquid collection area and a flow path communicating with the pump, wherein the flow path has at least one outlet provided therein above the at least one agitator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the compost chamber of the waste separation system includes a liquid collection area formed along a base thereof, and wherein the waste separation system further includes:

a liquid evaporation system communicating with the compost chamber, the liquid evaporation system including a pump communicating with the liquid collection area and a flow path communicating with the pump and the exhaust outlet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the waste separation system further includes:

a perforated panel positioned within the compost chamber below the at least one conveyor and above a base of the compost chamber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the waste separation system further includes:

an exhaust fan communicating with the exhaust outlet, wherein the exhaust fan is configured to draw air in the air inlet, through the compost chamber, and out the exhaust outlet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wastewater inlet of the wastewater treatment system is adapted to communicate with at least one of a bathtub drain, a shower drain, a sink drain, a clothes washing machine drain, and a dishwashing machine drain.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system further includes:

an extended aeration system communicating with the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers, the extended aeration system including an airflow source and an airflow array communicating with the airflow source, the airflow array including;

a first airlift adapted to draw water from a bottom portion of the surge chamber and distribute the water to a top portion of the surge chamber,

a second airlift adapted to draw water from a bottom portion of the aeration chamber and distribute the water to a top portion of the aeration chamber,

a third airlift adapted to draw water from a bottom portion of the clarification chamber and distribute the water to the top portion of the surge chamber, and

a fourth airlift adapted to draw water from above the bottom portion of the surge chamber and distribute the water to the top portion of the aeration chamber.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the airflow array of the extended aeration system further includes:

a first air diffuser adapted to aerate water contained within the surge chamber, and

a second air diffuser adapted to aerate water contained within the aeration chamber.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sludge removal system of the wastewater treatment system communicates with a bottom portion of each of the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers, and wherein the sludge removal system is adapted to remove sludge from at least one of the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers and discharge the sludge into the compost chamber.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system further includes:

a media disposed within at least one of the surge and aeration chambers, the media adapted to facilitate bacterial growth within the at least one of the surge and aeration chambers.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wastewater treatment system further includes:

a perforated member positioned within the at least one of the surge and aeration chambers above the media, the perforated member adapted to disperse water circulated within the at least one of the surge and aeration chambers.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system further includes:

a filter communicating with an outlet of the clarification chamber.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter array of the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system includes at least one of a sediment filter and a viral and bacterial filter provided in-line before the disinfection system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the disinfection system of the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system includes a continuous circulation arrangement configured to provide continuous circulation therethrough.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system further includes:

a membrane filtration system communicating with the reservoir.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the filter array of the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system includes at least one of a microfilter and a charcoal filter provided in-line after the membrane filtration system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the membrane filtration system is adapted to supply a potable water source.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring system operatively associated with at least one of the waste separation system, the wastewater treatment system, and the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring system includes:

at least one sensor operatively associated with the at least one of the waste separation system, the wastewater treatment system, and the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system, and

a control unit operatively associated with the at least one sensor, the control unit receiving at least one input signal from the at least one sensor, processing the at least one input signal, and issuing at least one command output signal to at least one of the waste separation system, the wastewater treatment system, and the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring system is operatively associated with the waste separation system and monitors at least one of a temperature in the compost chamber, a quantity of airflow through the compost chamber, and an amount of liquid collected within the compost chamber.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring system is operatively associated with the wastewater treatment system and monitors at least one of a level of water within the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers, and a quantity of dissolved oxygen within the surge, aeration, and clarification chambers.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring system is operatively associated with the filtration, disinfection, and water recycling system and monitors at least one of a pressure of the filter array, operation of the disinfection system, and a level of water within at least one of the holding chamber and the reservoir.