Sewage Solutions : Answering the Call of Nature

by Grant, Nick; Moodie, Mark Jefferson Halstead; Weedon, Chris

• ISBN13: 9781898049166
• ISBN10: 1898049165
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Consortium Book Sales & Dist

Summary

Rather than polluting watercourses with sewage, many ways exist to recycle it. Sewage Solutions explains such natural methods of treatment as reed beds, cess pits, water stabilization ponds, septic tanks and compost toilets, and also describes how to collect and recycle waste water. Whether connected to municipal drain systems or not, this is the guide for all interested in the complete process of sewage recycling. Note that this book originates from Europe and may contain measurement units, etc. not commonly used in the US. The authors are all consultants on a wide range of water and wastewater issues.

Table of Contents

The authors	5	(6)
Foreword	11	(2)
Introduction	13	(1)
The subject of this book	13	(1)
A note on vocabulary	14	(1)
A warning about pathogens	15	(2)
The Big Circle	17	(8)
The big circle	17	(1)
Sewage and the big circle	18	(4)
Sewage breakdown and the mineral solution	18	(1)
Conditions for digestion	19	(1)
Reintegration	20	(2)
Using the big circle	22	(1)
Summary	23	(2)
Treating Sewage	25	(10)
What is in domestic sewage	26	(1)
Why treat sewage?	27	(1)
Aerobic or anaerobic?	28	(1)
Treatment stages	29	(3)
Preliminary treatment	29	(1)
Primary treatment	30	(1)
Secondary treatment	30	(2)
Tertiary treatment	32	(1)
Summary	32	(3)
Sewage Treatment Systems	35	(34)
Choosing a treatment system	35	(1)
Sewage treatment technologies	36	(28)
Cesspools	37	(1)
Septic tanks	37	(3)
Settlement tanks	40	(1)
Bark rings	41	(2)
Solids separators	43	(1)
Percolating filters	44	(3)
Package plants	47	(5)
Vertical flow reed beds	52	(3)
Horizontal flow reed beds	55	(1)
Waste stabilisation ponds	56	(2)
Leachfields	58	(4)
Willows and trenches	62	(1)
Living machines	62	(2)
If it ain't broke don't fix it	64	(2)
The horizontal reed bed fix	65	(1)
Summary	66	(3)
Monitoring and Regulations	69	(28)
Monitoring Methods	69	(25)
The jam-jar method	70	(1)
The turbidity tube	70	(1)
Biochemical tests	71	(1)
The major determinands: SS and BOD	72	(3)
Other determinands	75	(8)
A worked example	83	(3)
Biotic indices	86	(4)
Regulators and Regulations	90	(1)
Current uncertainties	90	(1)
The regulators and their roles	91	(1)
Town and country planning Department	91	(1)
Building regulations Department	91	(1)
Environmental regulations	92	(1)
Discharge consents	92	(2)
Summary	94	(3)
Avoiding Generation of Blackwater	97	(26)
From muck into gold - the process of forming humus	97	(13)
Soil versus water	98	(1)
Humus	98	(2)
The choice	100	(1)
The challenge of making humus	101	(1)
How to make humanure	102	(1)
Composting toilets	102	(3)
Composting toilets and health	105	(1)
The challenges of composting human muck	106	(4)
Urine collection	110	(2)
Electric toilets and chemical toilets	112	(1)
Returning humanure to the soil; a word of caution	113	(7)
Designer's flowchart	115	(1)
Designer's checklist	116	(4)
Summary	120	(3)
Using Domestic Water Wisely	123	(28)
What you can put down the drain	123	(6)
Detergents and household cleaning agents	124	(3)
Eco balls?	127	(1)
Other chemicals	128	(1)
Water conservation in the home	129	(20)
Why conserve water?	129	(1)
Reasons to save water	130	(1)
Order of priorities: reduce, reuse, recycle	130	(1)
Developing awareness, changing habits	131	(1)
Leak plugging	132	(1)
Technical solutions	132	(1)
Toilets	133	(5)
Showers, baths and basins	138	(1)
Dead legs	139	(1)
Combi boilers	140	(1)
Taps	140	(2)
White goods	142	(1)
Water meters	142	(1)
Gardens	143	(1)
Reusing water	143	(1)
Rainwater harvesting	143	(2)
Autonomus rainwater system	145	(2)
Water recycling	147	(2)
Summary	149	(2)
Back to Life	151	(14)
Humus	152	(1)
The nutrient solution	152	(11)
Discharge to water	152	(1)
Discharge to soil	153	(1)
Aquaculture	154	(3)
Irrigating willows	157	(1)
Irrigating other plants	158	(2)
Flowforms	160	(3)
Summary	163	(2)
Conclusion	165	(2)
Case studies	167	(14)
Glossary	181	(4)
Bibliography	185	(2)
Resources	185	(2)
Index	187	(4)
Further reading	191