Residential Recirculating Media Filter

Amidst a series of setbacks involving three failed conventional onsite systems, the homeowners of a cozy three-bedroom abode nestled in the heart of Central Indiana found themselves at wit’s end, desperately seeking an alternative. Their predicament was compounded by the harsh reality of limited space, and the unwelcome guest of substantial soil compaction in both the back and side yards.

The alternative solution was secondary treatment using a 10’x10’ (3 x 3 m) Recirculating Media Filter. Designed for use in decentralized wastewater treatment applications where the effluent quality must meet or exceed secondary treatment standards, RMF technology can be used in residential, commercial, or small community applications for treating residential strength wastewater from a septic tank. Treatment occurs below grade as the fluid trickles down through the pore spaces of the media where aerobic organisms feed on the nutrients. Effluent leaves the system through an outlet pipe in the bottom of the filter. Treatment capacities range from 450 gpd to more than 36,000 gpd.

A manual flushing drip system was installed above failed trenches. Currently, treated effluent from the Recirculating Media Filter is pumped through 1,500′ (457 m) of pressure-compensating drip line, which winds around the property to make use of all available space.

The installation of this avant-garde system took place in August 2001. Since then, over the course of 17 meticulously documented sampling events, the system has unfailingly showcased its prowess, consistently revealing an average effluent quality of 5 mg/L BOD5 and 4 mg/L TSS, a testament to its unwavering reliability and efficiency.