Eliminite: A Fresh Approach to Advanced On-Site Wastewater Treatment.

Eliminite System Profile

2012-01-24T20:17:00.002-07:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2011-12-30T10:00:00.004-07:00

Eliminite treated wastewater sample from a daycare facility.

The system was installed by Justin Buchanan of Eon NW located in Bozeman, MT

Sample Results
Ammonia: 0.7 mg/L
TKN: 1.7 mg/L
BOD5: 3.5 mg/L
TSS: 0.0 mg/L

Have you downloaded a free copy yet?

2011-12-27T20:39:00.002-07:00

http://squirtonsite.blogspot.com/#!/2011/06/squirt-is-no-longer-patent-pending.html

Best Available Technology

2011-12-21T14:44:00.002-07:00

Remember this post?

A few weeks ago I showed you the 10 day results (before and after) of a mixed use (commercial and residential) septic system we retro-fit with an Eliminite. Today I want to give you the total nitrogen numbers. The sample was collected about a week ago. Think.....December in Montana.

TKN: 6 mg/L

NO2+NO3: 1.8 mg/L

Total Nitrogen: 7.8 mg/L.

This means that in a few weeks, at high altitude, in Montana cold, an Eliminite system transformed the wastewater on the left into treated effluent with a total nitrogen concentration below the safe drinking water standard. No alarms...no media cleaning...no cube fluffing...just trouble free operation and great results.

I have been thinking and it has become clear to me that,

Eliminite's worst numbers are better than other systems best numbers.

And our prices are lower.

I forgot to tell you about this one

2011-12-01T14:22:00.002-07:00

A beautiful residential development on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Bozeman, MT

needed to upgrade their onsite wastewater treatment system. The HOA hired an engineering firm to prepare plans and explore treatment options for the 70+ lot system.

Three manufacturers provided proposals for the new system.

After reviewing the proposals with their engineer, the HOA decided to award the job to Eliminite.

Maybe it was our lower cost or simpler maintenance. Maybe it was our robust telemetry system. It could have been that our treatment numbers are significantly better or that our systems do not have the visual impact of the others.
Maybe it was a combination of all these factors.

I can say with certainty that if you need an advanced onsite wastewater treatment system and you have not considered Eliminite, you will probably be paying more for a lower quality treatment system, period.

Here is an interesting news flash

Maryland auditors recommend criminal probe of septic system upgrade contractsBALTIMORE — Questionable septic system upgrade contracts totaling $1 million have been referred to the attorney general’s criminal division, according to an audit of the Maryland Department of the Environment released Thursday.
The average cost of 57 MDE-administered contracts awarded to two contractors was about $19,000, more than $7,200 higher than other projects statewide. And the cost for the 57 projects was more than $400,000 higher than similar projects, the auditors found.

As soon as I find out more details I'll post it here.

Think about this from the homeowner's point of view: An addendum to yesterday's post

2011-11-15T14:18:00.002-07:00

I am adding this to yesterday's post because I don't want an important point to be lost inside one of my usual rants.

The homeowners having the septic system installed saved $10,000 because they questioned their engineers work and decided to install an Eliminite denitrification system rather than one from the "Big Guys."

This is significant because the total installed cost of the entire system (Building sewer, primary tank, Eliminite treatment unit, drainfield, pumps, control panel and labor) was about $21,000. This is a huge savings.

The two systems, Eliminite and "Big Guys", are regulatory equivalents meaning in the eyes of DEQ they are equal. However, I have years of data comparing the effluent from the two systems showing Eliminite has far superior nitrogen removal results.

So why is the other system so expensive? My opinion is that they have, with the assistance of your state and local health department, enjoyed a near monopoly.

In Maryland, the agency charged with permitting these system actually lowered the standard to accommodate a system that they had previously approved but could not meet the original standard for which it was permitted.

Generally, these systems are approved for installation by providing ONE data point, NSF testing. The problem is once the system has passed NSF's fantasy test, the state agencies don't bother exploring REAL WORD numbers from the installed systems and it is a well know fact, though only spoken in dark corners of empty rooms, that certified systems generally do not meet real world nitrogen standards. Hence the shenanigans in Maryland. (The certification is pricey...it would cost a company in the neighborhood of $150,000 to complete the 6 month test. Who pays for this? You do.)

In Rhode Island it is reported that residential denitrification systems cost $35,000 to $45,000. http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/shoreline-building-hurt-by-dem-rule/article_227ed8b8-0955-11e1-9058-001cc4c03286.html

Here is a breakdown of the types of systems installed in Charlstown, RI taken from: http://www.charlestownri.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B57BE787A-1F23-406A-906B-4FBC5BCACF34%7D&DE=%7BA376CA24-20CF-48FA-B83B-5FC3F0F62459%7D

Monopoly? You decide. I can tell you that based on the pie chart, Eliminite would provide dramatically lower effluent nitrogen numbers than the vast majority (90%+) of the systems being installed (I can't speak to every system listed because I am surprised anyone even uses them any more) and cost thousands less.

This means that Rhode Island would see an immediate reduction in the cost of residential denitrification systems of about....you guessed it $10,000 to $25,000.

That is real money in the homeowners pocket and less nitrogen in the environment.

Oh..and for the record, Montana's water is better.

A letter from the Client to the Engineer. File this under, "I told you so."

2011-11-14T16:06:00.002-07:00

A little background:
Client hires Mr. Engineer to design an advanced onsite wastewater treatment system for her property. The system will serve three homes.

Mr. Engineer decides that he will not show Eliminite on the plans and opts to only show the "Big Guys" onsite wastewater system on the plans.

During the process of obtaining cost proposals for the treatment system, several contractors suggest Client look into Eliminite as an option because they prefer Eliminite advanced onsite treatment systems to those manufactured by the "Big Guys."

Eliminite provided a price to Clients contractor and offers to help have the system re-permitted if Client decides to work with us.

Client decides to use Eliminite and authorizes re-permitting. Re-permitting takes a few days.

The Smackdown
The system is installed and, apparently, Mr. Engineer, noticing the construction activity on the property asks Client if he should come out and certify the installation. Client sends Mr. Engineer the following letter:

Mr. Engineer,

They are just finishing putting in the Eliminite system this week. In response to your inquiry, we went with this system because it was $10,000 less than the other system. They are a Montana company & have been very professional with us. They should be included in the options you give people also.

Thanks,

Mrs. Client

That's a fairly strong rebuke and I doubt Client will be recommending Mr. Engineer for future work.

The Problem
In general, larger firms prefer to specify systems that cost more because their fees are based on a percentage of the overall cost. So a system that costs $10,000 more, represents an additional $2000 to $2500 in the engineers pocket for doing nothing.

Clients, whether public or private, must be aware of this practice of deliberately designing with more expensive components for no reason other than that they cost more. A case in point is a Montana firm that is designing a public onsite wastewater treatment system and is only designing with the "Big Guys" on their plans. They refuse to even call us back even though they have already been smacked down by other clients that they pulled these shenanigans with.

The bottom line is, because we are able to provide better systems for less money, they make less. In fact, the installed cost of one of our systems was less than the cost of their engineering services, and they did not even design the system.

This firm just lost a big public job that they did the preliminary engineering report for. The clients decided not to use them on the design and construction phases. The firm that won the award is a competent, ethical group that has worked with Eliminite on several projects. Their approach is to allow several manufacturers to present a design for review and the best system wins the job.

Eliminite almost always wins the fair bids. The only ones we do not win, are the ones that are rigged from the beginning. This ultimately ends up costing the client a lot more money initially, more money for operation and maintenance and, after the "Big Guys" system has been installed and is not meeting permit requirements, more money because the engineers are forced to "de-certify" the non-compliant system.

Want to know more? Give me a call.

Ten Days in October

2011-11-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

This project has a long history so I'll provide a short background. It was built in the 90's as a mixed use residential and commercial development in a resort area. It consists of cabins, condos, retail and a restaurant.

Back in those days recirculating sand filters were all rage and the DEQ required one to be installed for wastewater treatment.

You remember the design...a goofy little frame wall built around the perimeter of the excavation to which plywood or drywall was applied so that a 30 mil PVC liner could be draped over the whole thing. Then there were the layers of sand, gravel, pea gravel, more gravel that had to be meticulously placed, leveled and smoothed.

Well it failed, just like they all fail. It was rebuilt. The new one failed.

When the owners decided they had had enough, they installed an Eliminite as a retro-fit to the existing primary and recirculation tanks.

The photo on the left shows the wastewater in the recirculation tank before startup. It looks so bad you can almost smell it through the screen.

The photo on the right shows a sample collected from the Eliminite just ten days after the system was started. It is clear and there is no offensive odor.

This means that in ten days or less the Eliminite system turned a tank full of filthy, stinky, nasty wastewater, into a clear, odor-free effluent.

Try this with one of those air bubbler systems and the aeration tank would have looked like Yellowstone Mud Pot. I can only imagine what a filter fabric or foam cube system would look like after a week of receiving this type of wastewater. Can you say, "Time for the Tyvek suit?"

Wastewater sampling

2011-09-25T10:07:00.003-06:00

Justin Buchanan and I went on a maintenance run recently and inspected 7 Eliminite systems in about 2 hours. The reason we can do so many inspections in such a short time is because there is usually nothing for us to do other than collect a sample and look at the system. We read the counter numbers from the panel, open the lids, inspect the MetaRocks, pull a sample, do a quick flush on the drainfield and move to the next system. I cannot imagine arriving at the site and needing to remove feculent, septic saturated sheets to hose off or having to travel with a foam cube fluffer to loosen up saturated little foam meatballs.

Every system we inspected was producing wastewater that looked like the sample shown in the picture. Clear, odor-free and well below Montana's nitrogen limit of 24 mg/L.

I spoke with a government relations coordinator (Lobbyist) who works for a big manufacturer of onsite systems. Apparently, this company was very interested in the New Mexico study in which we participated. Our average total nitrogen for the duration of the study was about 7 mg/L. The PhD lobbyist took a stab at explaining the fundamentals of biological nitrification and denitrification to me because, in his experience, onsite systems cannot achieve such stellar numbers. He reasoned that our impressive results were probably due to "one little old lady wearing Depends," living in the house. He actually said that! I tried to explain to him that the people living in the home work from home and conduct business in their home. The installer informed me that Eliminite was chosen for that home because the people entertain regularly and he felt other systems would not be able to treat the flow from the house.

I have to admit his comment took me by surprise and it seems offensive of several levels. But, I guess it explains why, in his experience, onsite systems cannot acheive impressive numbers. In fact, it seems obvious that, considering his comment, their systems never produce results comparable to Eliminite, unless the system is not being used, of course.

Maybe the next set of requirements this company will include in their warranty, after the prohibition on using house-hold cleaners and antibacterial soap, will be that everyone in the residence needs to wear Depends undergarments when they are home. That might help their numbers but can you imagine the new inspection procedures?

The Last Blog Post is Creating Quite a Commotion

2011-09-08T09:51:00.002-06:00

The previous post on highway rest areas sure has generated a lot of interest. I have experimented with my posts and find that educational posts such as:

http://eliminite.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

Just don't generate as much interest as my slightly more sarcastic posts:

http://eliminite.blogspot.com/2009/10/aerobic-treatment-units-atu.html

And the recent post on highway rest areas has really brought the little critters out of the wood work. Keep in mind that the information I post is all readily available to the public, you might have to dig a little but it's there.

Case in point, I was poking around and came across a newspaper story about a tiny town in New Mexico. Some genius decided there were wastewater problems and the town was required to build a new wastewater treatment system. It is comprised of several clustered treatment systems scattered around the town.

The article was very interesting and recently I visited this small town and looked at what had been installed. I took photos and drove around, visiting each little cluster system.

Now, maybe I'm no expert but I know stink when I smell it, and these things were stinky. This is really too bad because it would not be too much of a stretch to assume that the system cost was pretty close to the entire value of the property it served. In other words, if you took the cost of the wastewater treatment system, in cash, you could probably buy all the property the system was designed to serve. Now this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but if you saw the place, you might agree with me.

My understanding from the newspaper article is that the system was not meeting its discharge limits and everybody involved was pulling their hair out about it. The town had the engineer there, the distributor, the manufacturer, and they simply could not get it/them into compliance.

The interesting thing in the article was that the manufacturer was blaming the installer, the operator, the town, anyone they could name in an attempt to shift responsibility somewhere other than where it rightfully belonged...right in the manufacturers lap.

Ultimately I heard that they pretty much stopped sampling it so nobody really knows what's going on, but it sounds like it/they are still non-compliant.

I was happy to pull into the RV park in New Mexico that is being served with an Eliminite and see every space full and utilizing the treatment system to its capacity. I opened the lids, no odor. The owner said there is never any odor. The treated RV wastewater was clear, and odor free and the BOD5 had recently been reported at 18.9 mg/L and Total Nitrogen was 13.7 mg/L.

I was just visiting and was not called there to fix something that was broken. There was no conflict and the owner was so happy with the system that he let Amanda and me, and our three pets, stay in one of his resort cabins at a reduced rate. This is a big difference with Eliminite compared to other systems, we care about our products and, as a result, the systems work.

Highway Rest Area Here are the Results

2011-09-04T13:24:00.007-06:00

A few days ago I posted the photo below of a wastewater sample taken from one of our highway rest area on site wastewater treatment systems. The lab sent me the sample results.

cBOD: 4.0 mg/L

Ammonia: 2.4 mg/L
TSS: Not Detected
E. coli: Not Detected
Nitrate +Nitrite: 31.8 mg/
Organic Nitrogen: 20.9 mg/L

The system is set up to add carbon and alkalinity but these results are from one of our standard systems with no carbon addition and no alkalinity addition. Influent strength at these rest areas is
BOD ~1200 mg/L
Nitrogen~450 mg/l

This means a standard eliminite system, treating very high strength wastewater, is achieving about 85% removal of nitrogen and about a 97% removal of BOD.   The permit for this system requires 60% removal of nitrogen.   Because the system is so far below permit limits, the Department of Transportation may not need to add the carbon source. If the carbon source were to be added, it would take about 3 hours to have everything set up and dialed in. I am obviously not using wood chips for denitrification because if I were, we would have to have excavators out to the jobsite to install the wood chip tanks, and plumbers to connect the piping. Sorry guys, I just think wood chips are a bad idea considering that many Eliminite systems, in standard configuration, already produce Total Nitrogen results in single digits for a lot less money.

So for a system operating in a remote location on an Interstate highway experiencing no malfunctions or alarms, it is doing pretty well. It has not required any maintenance time other than sample collection.

I was at a similar highway rest area in Colorado that had another manufacturers system for wastewater treatment.  It discharges directly into the River. I learned that the system does not always meet a 50 mg/L ammonia standard and routinely exceeds this generous standard resulting in the discharge of wastewater directly into the River. I feel sorry for the rafters and Kayakers!! You all better watch out for the "Brown" trout.

I understand the Colorado system has been out of compliance for a long time. The manufacturer has been out there with the engineer and distributor and nobody can seem to get the thing into compliance (Not even the people who designed, built and installed it) I know of one sample set where the total nitrogen was over 150 mg/L. The Colorado DOT would apparently rather ignore the system than get it fixed ,even though it continues to pollute the River. (Maybe, because it continues to pollute the River) This must be the benefit to a company that employs full time lobbyists in an effort to have its way with state and local regulations.

What it really is, is further evidence that pod type systems simply cannot match the treatment results of Eliminite Advanced On Site Wastewater Treatment Systems.

Oh...and, "Eliminite is Lobbyist Free Since '93!"

This is what Eliminite does to wastewater from a highway rest area...

2011-08-12T14:04:00.001-06:00

The onsite system was installed in the winter at high elevation. In its 10 months of operation there have been no alarms, no malfunctions and no maintenance. We have inspected the system visually but have not had to do anything to it.

We were awarded this job through a competitive bidding process and our price was about $30,000 lower than the "Big Guys" price and they did not even include denitrification. That means we were probably $60,000 to $80,000 less than the "Big Guys."

Every Eliminite system is this reliable.

RV Park in New Mexico

2011-08-08T10:08:00.002-06:00

I had a conversation with the Ground Water Division of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) a few years ago regarding a client's desire to build an RV park on his property. NMED informed me that they would not approve anything but a non-discharging system (Evaporating Sewage Pond) because in their experience, most of the wastewater systems installed in New Mexico at RV parks were in a perpetual state of failure.

The photo below is from an Eliminite system, permitted under Liquid Waste Division, installed at an RV park in New Mexico two years ago. At the time the photo was taken, all 20 spaces in the RV park were occupied and had been for several months. Notice how clean the MetaRocks media is...It has never been hosed off, taken out, fluffed or changed. There was no odor.

The system is sampled quarterly and, at the time of the most recent sample, the park was full. The Permit Limit for BOD is 150 mg/L. There is no specified standard for nitrogen.

The sample results were:
BOD 18.9 mg/L
TN (ammonia, organic nitrogen, nitrate and nitrite) 13.7 mg/L

Clearly, the system is not only capable of treating RV park wastewater, it is capable of doing it better than most systems do with a single family residence. In fact, take a look, for instance, at Maryland's Best Available Technology data and you will see that this very compact Eliminite system treating RV wastewater blows the"Best Available Technology", according to the state of Maryland, away.

I had the opportunity to visit a few advanced treatment system installations in New Mexico last week and I must say that I was shocked at what I saw. It seems the onsite industry is the only industry where manufacturers, engineers and installers are allowed to charge, and receive, huge sums of money for systems that do not work. If automobile purchases we conducted similarly, a person would pay for the car and and not even be able to drive it home before it broke down. They would have no recourse because the manufacturer would cite some study where a "test car" was shown to work adequately. How do you say NSF?

I saw installations that were so bad...so ugly that I cannot believe the manufacturer is still in business. I thought NSF had some kind of annual certification process....I would like to give them a few addresses.

One installer in the Albuquerque area is so incompetent and cheap that he will not order effluent pumps with a cord long enough to allow proper placement of the control panel. He installs the customers control panel about 4 inches above the ground. This means that in order to service, adjust, or even open the damn panel, the service provider has to lay on the ground on his belly. Apparently, NMED finds this acceptable and continues to permit and approve this garbage work. I have a photo, want to laugh?

I visited an RV park that had seven air bubbler systems installed for wastewater treatment. The stench was overwhelming and the system has been in a constant state of violation. The interesting thing about this is that the Technical Advisory Committee(TAC) in New Mexico recently upgraded the status of the manufacturer by recommending they be approved for the tertiary treatment standard. I saw several of these bubbler systems installed at residences and they too, filled the air with their feculent stench.

I visited one system that must have been an engineers wet dream...It was a wetland system of sorts but it was easy to tell, and this was confirmed, that the engineer keeps cobbling additional components on in a vain attempt to get the thing to work. It was actually kind of hideous and the only real visual blight in an otherwise beautiful setting. I hear it really annoys the neighbors with its alarm and odor.

I recently received a set of sample results for a number of Eliminite systems in New Mexico. The total nitrogen average was 5.8 mg/L. A set of nitrogen samples from Montana from several systems had a TN average of 8.05 mg/L. These are new results and I have not previously reported them.

Some facts about Eliminite Recirculating Trickling Filter

2011-07-27T22:49:00.000-06:00

Introduction:

Eliminite was developed in Bozeman, Montana in 1994 in response to evolving water quality regulations developed by Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The new regulations identified nitrogen, due to its potential mobility in the vadose zone, as the contaminant of primary concern. Between 1994 and 2004, no formal classification for nutrient removal systems existed in Montana. However, early results from the Eliminite technology were so promising that MDEQ allowed them to be installed on a case-by-case basis until the formal rules were prepared. By the time MDEQ finalized the regulations, Eliminite systems had been in use in residential, commercial and community applications throughout Montana for 10 years. Also during this time, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) completed an in-depth field study of four onsite treatment technologies, including Eliminite, which focused on identifying wastewater treatment technologies capable of meeting Montana’s maximum allowable effluent nitrogen concentration of 24 mg/L and 60% minimum nitrogen removal. At the conclusion of the 18-month study, Eliminite was recommended for approval at the highest classification in Montana, Level II treatment. Three patents have been issued for the Eliminite system and its proprietary components, including MetaRocks lightweight treatment media for growing microorganisms.

Eliminite are now used in hundreds of homes, businesses and government facilities in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and California.

Description:

Eliminite is a fixed-film biological reactor with recirculation and alternating aerobic/anoxic treatment processes. While many models and configurations targeting a variety of wastewater constituents are available, the most basic configuration consists of a single primary tank (septic tank) and a single Eliminite treatment tank. The treatment tank houses the fixed-film bioreactor, recirculation/storage volume, level control and effluent pump(s).

MetaRocks fixed-film media:

Eliminite systems utilize patented, proprietary treatment media called MetaRocks. MetaRocks media represents a significant improvement over other types of trickling filter media common to the industry. Long-term use has proven that MetaRocks possess superior treatment characteristics which are absent from other types of fixed-film systems, including the following:

· High specific surface area in excess of 60 ft²/ft³ provides ample surface for microbial attachment and biofilm development.

· Large void volume exceeding 70% ensures low headloss for efficient air transfer through entire media bed.

· Large average pore diameter of 0.5 to 1.5 inch translates to nearly zero clog potential.

· Rough surface speeds time to maturation and enhances water holding characteristics.

· High hydraulic loading capacity, 250 gal/(min* ft²).

· Polar surface is hydrophilic and wets completely with water.

· Thin liquid surface film allows oxygen to penetrate into the full depth of the developed biofilm.

· Light weight at 7 lb/ft³ allows for deep media bed with no additional structural requirements imposed on the tank manufacturer.

· MetaRocks are free-flowing and take the shape of the vessel they occupy while retaining their superior hydraulic and biological properties. This allows for their use in virtually any type of tank.

Advantages:

Versus suspended growth systems

· Fixed-film systems are known to be significantly more resistant to upsets caused by flow variation and varying influent wastewater strength.

· Because nitrifying organisms prefer to embed into a biofilm, fixed-film systems provide superior nitrification capability. This leads to reduced potential for microorganism washout during high flow periods.

· Operational complexity of suspended growth systems demands skilled operators be available for frequent monitoring, adjustment and maintenance in order to keep the system functioning at adequate levels. Eliminite is naturally biologically complex but mechanically simple. No special skills are necessary to operate the system and achieve exemplary results.

· Small scale suspended growth system have almost no operational control and are therefore incapable of responding to, or being manually manipulated to accommodate, wastewater characteristics that deviate from design parameters. Eliminite is designed with many degrees of freedom allowing a good deal of control and manipulation. It is possible to “fine tune” the system with a high degree of precision.

· Air blowers are energy hogs and suspended growth systems with their large, noisy blowers will consume far more energy than an Eliminite fixed-film system.

· Cold weather slows biological activity and the only pragmatic method for improving treatment levels in a suspended growth system is to increase oxygen to the aeration basin. This results in greater quantities of cold air being injected into the system and further degradation of the treatment process. Heaters are commonly employed in suspended growth systems during winter months to alleviate this problem. Obviously, heating wastewater, will add significant operational expense. Eliminite was developed in, and designed for, a cold climate and does not exhibit the severe, cold weather, degradation in effluent quality seen with suspended growth systems.

Advantages:

Versus other fixed-film systems

· Most commercially available fixed-film systems are manufactured around a “pod” arrangement. Pod based system leave little flexibility to the design engineer other than the specification of more or fewer pods. Pods are generally manufactured out of state and potentially in another country, providing scant benefit to the local economy. Eliminite works with local engineers and suppliers to develop a wastewater treatment system configuration that fits the clients project and meets budget demands.

· Rather than stringing multiple pods together, Eliminite prefers to simply install a larger single tank. This reduces piping complexity, O&M procedures and helps conserve heat vital to the treatment process.

· Eliminite uses patented MetaRocks trickling filter media which have large open passageways for air transfer. Textile, foam cube, peat moss and other similar media exhibit high porosity but this porosity is comprised of very small pores. Biological organisms and even liquid will quickly bridge these miniscule voids rendering them ineffective for air transfer or treatment.

· MetaRocks have a rough polar surface because the surface is highly textured sand and recycled glass. Textiles and foam cubes are smooth and, because they are manufactured from plastics, are non-polar. It has been shown that a rough surface will develop a biofilm more quickly than a smooth surface meaning that MetaRocks will reach optimum treatment levels more quickly. Surface polarity relates to a materials ability to be wet with water. The sand and recycled glass surface of MetaRocks are polar and therefore easily wet. A non-polar surface, in contrast, is wetting resistant and water will bead, much like water on a waxed surface. Beading is an undesirable characteristic of plastic media systems.

· MetaRocks do not require cleaning or replacement. Textiles must be washed and cubes require fluffing because they cannot support their weight plus the weight of the biofilm. Textiles have a tendency to stretch over time and will need to be trimmed periodically. Manipulating the media in a system that has been in use is a dirty and potentially hazardous job.

· MetaRocks have structural integrity and are suitable for deep trickling filter beds. A deep bed has many advantages including smaller footprint, superior resistance to cold temperatures and highly efficient nitrification potential.

· Eliminite can use fewer small access risers and lids because MetaRocks do not require invasive maintenance procedures. This means lower heat loss in cold weather and dramatically reduced visual impact. Fewer access points also reduce the potential for unauthorized entry into the system and results in a less visually obtrusive end product.

· Eliminite does not require a telephone up-link. One can easily be added, reporting any number of parameters, if desired.

· MetaRocks were designed specifically for use as a fixed film media. Their size, shape, surface characteristics, weight, and structural integrity are specific to their purpose. Most other media used in the industry use materials that were intended for other uses

and have various drawbacks when applied to the wastewater industry.

Results from the lab and other things

2011-07-23T16:46:00.002-06:00

I thought you might like to see some more lab results from an actual system that has been in use for about 5 years. In that time the owner has not had to replace or repair any equipment. The fixed film MetaRocks media looks like new and has never needed to be hosed off, fluffed, trimmed or removed for cleaning. The system is technically a single residence treatment unit but serves a duplex in one of the coldest areas of Montana. As you can see on the attached lab analysis, the results from the system are pretty good.

Allow me to be candid, but we all know what the numbers from onsite systems look like. We all have seen the full page advertisements for 16 mg/l TN from some study halfway across the world. If you take a look at the dozens of studies and tons of marketing material manufacturers are so proud of, it is clear that the Eliminite results below are off the scale great results . This fact becomes even more compelling if you consider that the system has received no maintenance, it receives only annual inspections. I realize the statement that our systems produce superior results without the constant babysitting necessary to keep other systems running is sacrilegious to regulators, but it is the truth.

Last years lab sample taken from the system showed TN at 9 mg/L. Apparently Eliminite gets better with age.

These numbers above are consistent with the third-party testing that was recently completed in New Mexico. We were part of a state funded study looking at maintenance requirements for several systems. Eliminite had the best overall numbers and averaged about 7 mg/L TN for the duration of the study.

It is interesting that our TN results form a tight grouping and are not scattered all over the place like most systems. One manufacturer I spoke with is of the opinion that individual system results should not carry as much weight as the statistical average of all their systems. Honest! I am not making this up!

Following his logic, convoluted as it may be, means that if I were to get pulled over for going 80 mph in a 55 mph zone, I should be able to argue that my average speed since I left home was under the speed limit and get off without a ticket. In reality you would probably get two tickets: one for speeding and another for being an idiot. How can you even argue with such tripe? It seems more reasonable to me that each system must stand on its own. The problem with that approach would be that most manufacturers would have to exhume 50% or more of their units and retrofit with Eliminite. Well. not a problem for Eliminite anyway.

We are doing just that, exhuming a system and replacing it with an Eliminite, at a convenience store. The current onsite system included all the promises and rhetoric about how wonderful it it is. Too bad the discharge permit did not consider a weighted average of TN, glossy brochures, fancy marketing and big promises.

Onsite Installer article

Onsite Installer featured two of our highway rest area systems in last months issue. We learned before the article went to publication that the true influent nitrogen concentration is generally between 400 and 500 mg/L TN. This makes our 28 mg/L effluent TN even sweeter. I am in the process of reducing the effluent TN further. I will post results here soon.

Eliminite featured in Onsite Installer

2011-07-18T16:17:00.002-06:00

http://www.onsiteinstaller.com/editorial/2011/07/crossing_the_divide

News from Colorado

2011-07-16T14:24:00.001-06:00

Amanda and I have been in Colorado for most of this week, meeting with our friends and co-workers in the engineering and onsite profession.

As you can imagine, Colorado is beautiful this time of year, the snow is still deep on the highest peaks and I don't know if the valleys and lower elevations have ever been so green.

We visited several jobs that have been recently completed and a few that are ongoing.

Red Sky Ranch

We have been working with Vail Resorts Development Company for about 12 years and have completed several cluster systems and many individual onsite systems. These photos show an individual system being installed. The owner decided to use Front Range Precast tanks (one tank for the septic tank and one tank for the Eliminite) for this installation. Discharge is to a pressurized bed absorption field. Thanks to Don O Dell for this efficient design and expert installation.

State Bridge
Ask anyone who knows State Bridge and you will hear things like, "That place is awesome!" An outdoor music venue destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 2007, State Bridge has risen from the ashes and is once again drawing large crowds to hear bands play in their amphitheater on the Colorado River. Led by a dedicated team of music lovers, State Bridge provides tepees, cabins and yurts for people to rent.

Eliminite is proud to be a part of State Bridge's rebirth and revival. LKP Engineering and Pete Petrovski of Innovative Septic Technology http://innovativeseptictech.com/, Edwards CO provided the design and installation of the 320C System.

We are starting to see a real departure from the way the onsite industry here has been doing wastewater. In the recent past, most people only knew of one brand of onsite system and that system dominated the market. But, we have been meeting with regulators, engineers, builders and homeowners, and we are beginning to see a significant shift away from the big guys.

I'm sure that price plays a major role in the initial decision; our estimates have been dramatically lower than the big guys' prices. The interesting thing is, we have held our prices at a fair level and have not played games with the numbers. We've just committed a lot of time, effort and consideration to keeping our prices reasonable; we work with local suppliers, we choose not to invest disproportionately in costly advertising and marketing campaigns, and we've steered clear of the common business model of using multiple middlemen, which quickly translates into big markups. As an example, Eliminite and one of its primary competitors in CO--I'll call them "Brand X"--provided quotes for a 6 bedroom home in Colorado. Our price for the entire system was literally half of the Brand X quote. What happened on the next job quote is significant:

This time, Brand X (probably determined not to lose another job to us) dropped their price by $14,000! In one step, they reduced the price they would have normally charged the consumer by $14,000. There is a lot one can read into this tactic:

1) They have been severely overcharging their customers because they have enjoyed a near-monopoly for years.
2) They are deeply concerned about Eliminite in Colorado.
3) They are pretty ticked off. I mean, we forced them to walk away from a $14,000 gravy train that they have enjoyed at the expense of the consumer.

I predict there will be some concern and dissension at the Brand X offices because, suddenly, their blank check has been taken away and they will be forced to provide a fair job for a fair price...that is where the rub will be--fairness. Today's economy is vastly different than the economy of years past. Consumers are no longer willing to accept the first bid they receive from the most obvious source; they are doing their own research, and they know an unfair price when they see it. When construction loans were flowing freely, consumers often overlooked unfair prices, trusting their contractor and engineer to find them the best deal. Contractors and engineers often went with the most commonly known brand, because it's what they already knew...years of intense marketing, lobbying, networking and advertising efforts made Brand X the go-to brand for most onsite professionals. It was easy, obvious, and cost wasn't much of an issue. However, today's consumers are taking matters into their own hands because resources are more scarce. When they receive a $40,000 bid for an onsite system for a modest home, they start looking for an alternative. Eliminite is that alternative.

Even with Brand X's dramatic $14,000 price reduction, Eliminite's price is still lower, and its maintenance requirements are significantly less onerous. So, cost savings are substantial, not only up front, but also long term.

My long-term goal is to move the discussion away from the fact that our prices are lower so that we can discuss results, reliability and design. I have posted quite a few real-world, cold-weather results on this blog, and it is easy to see that Eliminite is not only a viable alternative to the Big Guys; Eliminite is, in many ways, the superior alternative. The treatment results are more consistent and reliable, the system is far less susceptible to upset, and the maintenance requirements are minimal. Our more reasonable prices might be the first thing people notice about Eliminite, but it only gets better from there. We're looking forward to another year of record growth.

Nitrogen in wastewater and more real world results

2011-06-25T18:58:00.000-06:00

I spend quite a bit of time on this blog discussing nitrogen in wastewater and thought I would take a minute and explain a little about the species of nitrogen present in domestic wastewater.

Nitrogen is present in wastewater in several forms:

Organic nitrogen, primarily as urea. Urea is the end product of the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds in most mammals and is excreted in the urine (Solomons 1988)

Urea

Ammonia: Ammonia is generated by ammonification of urea. You can see the amino groups (NH2) in the urea that degrade to ammonia. (Grady, Daigger and Lim, 1999)

Ammonia (NH3)

If the pH of the wastewater is neutral to acidic the ammonia will be in the form of ammonium.

Ammonium Ion

Nitrate and Nitrite: The ammonium is converted to nitrite and then nitrate in the presence of oxygen.

Nitrate (NO3)

Nitrite (NO2)

Those are the main forms of nitrogen in domestic wastewater. Total nitrogen (TN) is the sum of all species:

Total nitrogen (TN) = Organic nitrogen (urea) + Ammonia/Ammonium + Nitrate + Nitrite.

You may have heard of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), this is not TN. TKN is the sum of organic nitrogen (urea) + ammonia/ammonium. TKN can be equal to TN if no nitrate or nitrite is present in the sample. TKN cannot be greater than TN. With the definition of TKN, total nitrogen can be expressed as:

TN = TKN + nitrate +nitrite.

I spoke with an onsite maintenance provider who maintained a competing system and was responsible for collecting wastewater samples for analysis. He was very proud of the fact that the total nitrogen for his systems was under 20 mg/L and felt the need to prove it to me by showing me a copy of his sample results. The nitrogen analysis he was having run by the lab, however, was for total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) not total nitrogen (TN). He heard the word, "total" in TKN and assumed he was getting the correct sample analysis. The problem was that once the nitrate and nitrite were added to the results, to obtain a true TN value, his systems were actually exceeding the state standard by a huge margin. You can see it is important to understand what you are doing.

This brings up an interesting point. We have all heard of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and most know that BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen required to oxidize biologically degradable compounds completely to water and carbon dioxide. The most common form of this test measures the dissolved oxygen concentration remaining in a sample over a period of 5 days, hence the BOD5 test. What you will see fairly often are manufacturers presenting cBOD as BOD5. a cBOD test is a different test though.

In a cBOD test, the bacteria responsible for converting ammonia to nitrate and nitrite are killed. This effectively negates the oxygen demand imposed by the nitrogen species. The cBOD test provides useful information but should not be confused with the standard BOD5 test. I think manufacturers use cBOD because if you collect a sample from a treatment system and analyze it for BOD5 and cBOD5 you will see that the cBOD5 sample produces a lower value. The reason the value is lower is because a significant portion of the oxygen-demanding species have been negated by killing the microorganisms that are responsible for oxidizing it.

Real World, Cold Weather Results (Not Waco in the summer)

I am including some recent Eliminite samples from five residential systems in Montana. These are cold weather samples taken from standard residential systems. The nitrogen results represents an 80 to 90% removal.

Lot	Total Nitrogen	BOD
22	14	18
26	14	17
28	15	17
29	10	11
32	17	11

Average	14.00	14.80

Montana has had a long cold winter this year but as the results show, these values are superior to most systems best warm weather data.   Our nitrogen numbers are not the only values that are much lower than competing onsite systems; our prices are significantly lower also. It's just a fact.

Highway Rest Areas
I'll be discussing the highway rest area systems in a day or two. We are currently achieving about a 90% removal of nitrogen. The influent nitrogen is a little higher than previously thought; 400 to 500 mg/L TN and the BOD is over 1000 mg/L. We don't even have the system dialed in yet and are currently removing 93% TN.   Oh...these are cold weather results also!

Blog Traffic
Should I mention what company has visited this blog more in the last month than anyone...even me!?  If you guys would like to buy some systems, we can work something out.

More Real World Results

2011-05-11T11:51:00.000-06:00

A few years ago sand filters were being presented, very effectively I must add, by a company that manufactured sand filter kits, as a panacea that would solve the world's onsite wastewater treatment problems. Engineers, contractors and regulators were offered "classes" in a traveling side show of sorts providing them everything they needed to specify, permit and build God's gift to mankind's need to treat onsite wastewater.

Detailed gradation curves describing the size and composition of the sand were developed and distributed giving the illusion that a lot of hard thought went into the design of these sand filters. I remember the pages of plans that were made available to engineers so that they could simply make copies and insert them into their plan set. Sand filters were sold as easy to install, easy to maintain, reliable and inexpensive.

There were many problems with sand filters that resulted in them being a nightmare to install, impossible to maintain, expensive and when they failed....they went all at once.

In my opinion one first must look at the treatment media. Sand works great, right up to the point where it doesn't. Then you have this mess to deal with:

Any media with tiny pore spaces is far more likely to clog when wastewater is applied than media with large pore spaces.

There was a poster presentation at a NOWRA conference a few years ago relating hydraulic conductivity of the media to clogging potential. It was shown, and this should not come as a surprise, that low hydraulic conductivity media had a much greater probability of failing due to biological fouling than media with higher hydraulic conductivity.

During a recent presentation, Tchobanoglous stated that the size of the particles in the wastewater being applied had a significant effect on the bio-fouling potential of the media. If the particle size is close to the media pore size...clogging is likely. This explains, in part, why manufacturers are requiring larger and larger primary tanks and recirculation tanks for their systems; to try to reduce the size of the suspended solids so their media does not foul.

The sand filter shown above has already been rebuilt and the owners have decided to install an Eliminite system in its place. Our MetaRocks media has been proven over time and hundreds of installations to reduce the potential for biological clogging to near zero. The extreme efficiency of the media allows us to use smaller and fewer tanks while dramatically improving reliability and treatment characteristics.

Hydraulic acceptance rate of MetaRocks: >250 gal/min/ft^2.

Our goal has been to identify aspects of an onsite treatment system critical to its performance and optimize those aspects. The fundamental starting point is the media. If the media is not right, the system either will not work, or it will be a maintenance nightmare.

Highly robust media allows the system operation to be varied and optimized because there is no concern that the media will be overloaded. This fact leads to a variety of possible configurations and allows the designer to target constituents in the wastewater for treatment. Rather than treating the system with kid gloves, it handles dynamic conditions to the point of abuse. Isn't that what you really want in an onsite system?

We just received several Montana Cold Winter sample results for nitrogen, total nitrogen........The "worst" result was 12 mg/L TN. Montana cold, dead of winter, inspection not maintenance, no telephone link, just great results.

The best?...it was 4 mg/L TN.

2011-04-20T18:17:00.000-06:00

If you need serious nitrogen removal....

Don't monkey around!

Hidden camera catches monkey wiring control panel

These are cold weather results from a real Eliminite system serving a small restaurant. And, it does not have a phone line connected to it.

That whole phone line thing has real Big Brother feel to me anyway....Think about it. Like, do they know how many times you use the toilet? Or how long you stay in the shower? Is there anything in your home that is gathering and sending personal data night and day to some unknown person somewhere?

Don't we generally refer to that as spyware, phishing, a virus? Eavesdropping.....how about an invasion of your privacy?

Eliminite is more reliable, has better results and is less expensive. And, we respect your privacy.

More Real-World Eliminite Results

2011-04-13T13:24:00.000-06:00

"Blind Samples" samples were collected by State Officials from three systems on the same day. All three are single family residences in similar locations and have been in use for several years. System N and System F both have NSF 40 and 245. Which system has the best total nitrogen results?

System N effluent contains TWICE the nitrogen as the Eliminite system and System F effluent has THREE TIMES the nitrogen as the Eliminite. This is not a one time occurrence, Eliminite consistently beats the others. Keep in mind, these tests were taken in warm weather....once the temperature falls a bit, N and F results degrade steeply. A recent cold weather (January in Montana) sample from a single family residence on Montana: 13 mg/L total nitrogen. Even our inexpensive standard residential models in the long bitter cold of Montana winters run around 12-15 mg/L total nitrogen. If you need it, we can easily obtain single digit results. Consistently and reliably.

Capital cost for all three are close but I have seen cost estimates for the others and we even beat them on price. Electrical costs for the other two are probably 5-8 times higher than Eliminite and our systems require far less maintenance.

So why are the other companies so big and well known? One word: Lobbyists. They all have government relations departments that push and manipulate the regs to favor their particular stinkbox. Just look it up on their websites. Eliminite out performs most onsite systems and, if you factor in cost, it may be the best value in onsite treatment technology available, but we are at a competitive disadvantage because we don't have a team of lobbyists providing favors to the gullible government officials they were able to inveigle with their silver tongues.

I am working on obtaining an approval in Maryland (they have HUGE onsite problems there which are not being helped by the fact that the state is forced to water down their regs because the approved systems cannot meet the standards). I was informed that the manufacturers of the existing systems there would likely sue the state if we were even allowed in for an test run. Sounds like the work of lobbyists to me.

In Montana, System N and F, last time I looked, do not have a single installation that even comes close to meeting our liberal standard of 24 mg/L TN. Not one. In fact, most of the really fancy filter fabric contraptions can't meet that standard either (This leads to monkeying around with the samples so they can claim a 60% reduction in TN. If I user their numbers for influent strength, Eliminite generally obtains an 80-90% reduction in nitrogen......you guys can't beat us so put on some dry "huggies", change the sheets and stop your whining.)

If you are tired of hearing all their excuses about high cost, paying dearly for inferior results, putting up with all the maintenance expense, the smell, the noise, high electric bills, I you have "seven tons of toxic peat moss" rotting in your yard (I'll write more about that later. you can take a look at Leesburg Today 7/19/07 if you are interested), if "fluffing" little foam croutons sounds stupid to you too, if you can't stand having those guys in your backyard hosing off fish tank filters full of feculent feces, if pumping sewage on sandboxes just does not seem to make sense, you can call or write to me, I'll tell it like it is. I want to show you real world results that come from reliable designs and expert engineering. I can show you our system that is biologically complex and mechanically simple. (Thanks to my good friend Richard for that line). Whatever you do, don't commit intellectual suicide by swallowing anything these guys try to feed you without questioning it. Ask them how their system compares to Eliminite and watch them pucker up...or say, "Oh..I never heard of them." They have heard of us...they just don't want YOU to hear of us.

Green Plastic Tanks and Pipes Everywhere

2011-03-31T09:07:00.000-06:00

I took a photo of a system that made me laugh. It's one of those "pod" types with lots of green plastic tanks and pipes everywhere. In fact, in the photo, you can't even tell which pipes go to which tanks. The system was pretty large and I couldn't get all of in the photo. But, it really paints a picture of what is wrong with this industry. Now, I am going out on a limb here, and you will probably recognize the manufacturer, but hey, this is the world wide web and people have a right to know and a right to see these kinds of contraptions. You may even recognize the people in the picture. The photo is below.

I gotcha', didn't I? But you already had a picture in your mind...

Great Article--worth the time!

2011-03-28T18:48:00.000-06:00

I couldn't have said it better myself:

Entrepreneurs Under Attack

"Every day, federal, state, and local governments stifle small businesses to privilege well-connected incumbent companies. It's a system of protectionism for influential insiders who don't want competition."

First Sample 98% Nitrification, Second Sample 80% Reduction in TOTAL Nitrogen

2011-03-18T11:01:00.000-06:00

I wrote about the highway rest area wastewater treatments systems we designed and built for the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). (MDT made a determination that it was in the best interest of the public that Eliminite be the sole source provider of wastewater treatment systems for all its facilities. This "Public Interest Finding" was approved by the Federal Highway Administration.)

This particular WWTS was started in the winter and, at this location, it gets cold and stays cold.  We collected a sample in January which showed that even in the extreme cold, the system was providing about 98% ammonia conversion to nitrate.

We collected the second sample a week ago and found that the systems nitrogen removal was already at 80%.   I expect the Nitrogen levels to continue to fall.

This is excellent treatment considering the high nitrogen concentration of the incoming wastewater. In fact, we are already operating better, with a cold weather startup, than most "advanced" systems receiving residential wastewater. (take a look at the "Best Available Technology" data from an NSF 245 system I posted a few weeks ago.)

Here is some icing on the cake.....No alarms, no failures, no problems. We started the system and it has been operating perfectly.  No media to wash off...no cubes to fluff.

Yes. This has really irritated the peddlers of competing systems. You can imagine the incessant puling and crying. They are even trying to have the PIF rescinded. The fact is, we received the job through a fair bidding process. Eliminite came in tens of thousands of dollars less and we were awarded BOTH jobs saving the taxpayers tons of money AND using local suppliers to the max. But they have friends in high places...so the hell with the best interest of the taxpayers.

I did have to point out some shenanigans with one vendor however. The peddler sort of ignored the engineers design flow and submitted his proposal with a system that was 1/3 of what the manufacturer would require. I guess he figured that he would spring the news on the taxpayers later. My guess is they would have blamed the upgraded system on the Department of Environmental Quality. I pointed this little "oversight" out to the contractor and he asked the vendor for a system meeting the engineers design requirements. You can guess what happened next, the correctly designed system was much more expensive than the Eliminite system and Eliminite won the job. Oh...but the whining....I would bet there isn't a single pair of dry big boy "Huggies" in their entire organization! Wait until they find out that we just beat them on a school wastewater treatment system yesterday.

I am always happy to discuss how our little Montana company is able to provide system that out perform the others. So give me a call...fire off an email.

Montana's highway rest areas are more picturesque than other states resorts!

2011-02-23T19:49:00.002-07:00

They have better wastewater treatment systems also.

Eliminite has been selected as provider of all wastewater treatment facilities for Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) highway rest areas and other facilities. Through its process, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration, MDT determined that it is in the best interest of the public for Eliminite to provide wastewater treatment systems for all its facilities. The systems are compact, reliable and specifically designed to treat the high nitrogen wastewater (ammonia =180 - 250 mg/L) common to highway rest areas.

***UPDATE***

(The prime engineers on this project refused to collect actual wastewater influent samples and instead, guessed at the BOD and TN values. They are not good guessers, Actual BOD Influent averages about 1200 mg/L. Actual TN Influent averages about 450 mg/L)

The foot print of the entire treatment system is about 20' x 40' and uses all locallly supplied precast concrete tanks. That makes good sense for our local economy because area suppliers can provide equipment rather than shipping money out of state to import equipment from out of state, or country, suppliers.

We can do this in any location using locally available tanks, and components because the design of the system is flexible and can be modified to accommodate almost any tank configuration. This not only provides a boost to the local guys but also results in significantly lower overall cost. As you all know, "pod" type systems must be shipped in from somewhere.

This system was started and sampled in the dead of winter and is already achieving about 98 % conversion of ammonia to nitrate. No alarms, no malfunctions, no phone dialer. The average mean temp was around 20 degrees F for the operational period.

You can check out the pressurized drainfield at http://www.squirtonsite.blogspot.com/

Is NSF certification anything more than a "Pay to Play scheme"?

2011-02-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am sure many of you have asked the same question.  How often do we hear of NSF certified systems that fail to meet even the most magnanimous state standards? The game is interesting, states develop standards for say, nitrogen, which, I have to assume are based upon some need for a nitrogen standard. They don't pull these things out of mid-air...do they?    Onsite systems are then supposedly required to comply with the standards. This seems to be true unless the system has an NSF certification. Once the system is approved by the state, the certification trumps any actual field data however consistently bad it is. I was told by one regulator that once the system is in the state with NSF, it is nearly impossible to get them out due to the threat of lawsuits by the aggrieved manufacturer.  This means that while the system is "certified" on paper to meet the standard, the actual data show something different that the regulatory community can not or will not correct.

NSF, from what I have heard uses municipal wastewater that has been through a primary sedimentation process. This sounds like "normal' residential wastewater, don't you think?

The lowest flow certification is for 500 gal/day. Any person that knows anything about this field knows that homes NEVER produce this much wastewater unless something in the home is broken.  If your state standards say they do, your standards are wrong. Seriously, we are talking about potty breaks, showers and laundry not Blue Fin Tuna farming. Oh....Do Americans really still have "laundry day"? I suppose so but only if the laundry is done at the local laundromat. Right? Think about it.

Why would "laundry day" matter? I suppose if the system happens to be a Failure -prone Aerated Septic Tank, the worry would be washout. (although, since those things don't work anyway they might as well be clean and meadow fresh)  If we are talking about the systems using filter fabric the concern is hydraulic overload and biological clogging of the fabric.
So I take a look at this system, call it brand x, and review its sample data from a single family home producing around 150-200 gal/day and can see that it doesn't have a prayer of meeting the 245 standard of 50% removal it reportedly received while treating 500 gal/day in the NSF program. What is the real story here?

Just for fun I have pasted sample data from an NSF certified system (in red below) and sample data from a non-NSF certified Eliminite 120C (in green) collected during the same third party test. Remember this is ACTUAL data collected by a state funded third party. The NSF system is listed, for instance, as Best Available Technology (BAT) In Maryland. Really, Best??

Eliminite 120 C Standard Model

Date TN

7/10/2009 11.928

7/17/2009 6.475

7/24/2009 5.171

7/31/2009 4.740

8/7/2009 4.677

8/14/2009 5.084

8/21/2009 8.685

8/31/2009 3.639

9/4/2009 10.224

9/11/2009 8.345

9/18/2009 9.213

9/30/2009 4.568

10/9/2009 6.580

10/16/2009 7.120

10/23/2009 3.520

10/30/2009 11.345

3/25/2010 11.475

4/16/2010 13.460

4/29/2010 6.370

4/30/2010 11.280

5/4/2010 9.680

5/11/2010 10.111

5/18/2010 7.870

5/25/2010 3.430

6/1/2001 4.560

6/8/2010 4.670

6/15/2010 5.375

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

NSF 245 Certified System
Date TN
7/10/2009 33.541

7/17/2009 60.700

7/24/2009 85.064

7/31/2009 69.130

8/7/2009 46.800

8/14/2009 34.991

8/21/2009 40.183

8/31/2009 56.636

9/4/2009 51.200

9/11/2009 66.248

9/18/2009 56.500

9/30/2009 67.000

10/9/2009 40.100

10/16/2009 34.700

10/23/2009 33.270

10/30/2009 21.338

3/25/2010 35.100

4/16/2010 69.200

4/29/2010 78.200

4/30/2010 84.800

5/4/2010 67.230

5/11/2010 35.700

5/18/2010 34.900

5/25/2010 66.783

6/1/2001 54.321

6/8/2010 33.760

6/15/2010 67.000

Take a Look at Onsite Installer

2010-10-19T07:54:00.000-06:00

There is an article featuring an Eliminite system in this month's Onsite Installer.
http://www.onsiteinstaller.com/editorial/view/3264/Tight-Space-Tough-Climate

Follow-up to last post

2010-09-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

In my last post I told you about a system we installed four (4) years ago that the maintenance provider failed to inspect. The system is at a high elevation in an area frequently mentioned on the weather channel as having the daily low temperature in the continental United States. It is clearly NOT the NSF test facility in Waco, Texas. It has been in continuous use.

The samples came back today and the system that has received NO MAINTENANCE for 4 years was producing effluent with 9 mg/l total nitrogen. That's Ammonia + Nitrate + Nitrite + Organic Nitrogen, Total Nitrogen = 9 mg/l.

Our MetaRocks media looked as perfect as the day it was installed. I am fairly certain that there is not a system available that can make this claim. And, when you factor in the price, Eliminite represents the best value in onsite wastewater treatment. This is an indisputable fact.

The "Big Guys" have been spending a lot of time on this blog. They must be pretty slow in the manufacturing plant or they must be trying to figure out what to copy from Eliminite next. I hear through the grapevine that their maintenance providers are still pretty busy though. How would you like to be a homeowner, fighting through this awful economic recession only to get yet another bill for service to your septic system. And, if you don't pay it, they void your warranty (here is a secret, you never really had one anyway, it was always YOUR fault) and then, in order that the insult be brought fully to fruition, they turn you into the State for not renewing your maintenance contract.

Here are some total nitrogen numbers from a third party test being conducted on one of our systems in in New Mexico:

11.2 I made an adjustment here to get the number down.

6.75 It looks like it worked.

5.1

4.7

4.6

5.0

8.6

6.5

3.6

The background Total Nitrogen was around 60 mg/l.

These were taken over about a 6 month period from one little ol' Eliminite that cost a ton less than than one of those silly fish tank filter systems and about the same as those ridiculous septic tank bubbler activated sludge contraptions.

"Big Guy" Maintenance crew taking care of one of the "Big Guys" systems.

Eliminite Maintenance crew and work vehicle

Just joking Guys...relax.

Maintenance, O&M, and Service Requirements can tell you a lot about an onsite system.

2010-08-27T13:25:00.000-06:00

Most of the onsite industry has it all wrong and is out of touch with the rest of society.   Think about it; if you buy manufactured products, you know that manufacturers are trying to create products today that are more durable and reliable than yesterday's products. Automobile manufacturers have improved the reliability of their vehicles to the point where many brands advertise 100,000 miles between tune ups. Paint manufacturers have developed blends that claim 20 years between reapplications. The mean time between failures for my new computer hard drive represents a 100 fold improvement over previous models. Reliability has always been synonymous with quality; if something lasts a long time and does not require constant observation, maintenance and service to remain functional, that is a clear indication of a high quality product.

Certainly we have the option of buying cheaper, less reliable products that we know will not last, or will require intensive service to keep functional. I am thinking Yugo here...remember them? If you were a Yugo mechanic you could probably keep one running...for a little while, anyway.

*As a quick aside, here are a couple of well-known Yugo jokes: Do you know how you double the value of your Yugo? Fill the gas tank.

What's the difference between a Yugo and a door-to-door salesman? You can close the door on the salesman.

Obviously, when a product becomes the butt of jokes like this, it's time to throw away the mold and retool, or get out of the business. Yugo chose the latter option. Today, however, too few Yugo-esque onsite system manufacturers are throwing away their obsolete molds...instead of being innovative in their retooling efforts, they have become exceptionally innovative and ambitious in their lobbying, marketing and liability-reduction efforts. It's cheaper to convince regulators that more rigorous maintenance programs are necessary than it is to develop a system that requires less maintenance.

Many manufacturers of advanced onsite treatment systems prefer to move in a direction opposite of greater reliability, durability and reduced service toward a requirement for more maintenance visits, more media cleaning, more tank pumping. One manufacturer has taken this idea to such extremes that the treatment system is required to be connected to a dedicated telephone line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Some might interpret this intense degree of remote monitoring as a sign that the product teeters on the edge of catastrophe every second of every day. I say this because the only reason I can think of why a manufacturer would impose such a procrustean requirement is because it is a necessary component if the system is to function at all.   I can't think of too many household products with a requirement for 24/7 remote monitoring...not even the really dangerous ones that commonly catch fire are shepherded with such sophisticated software.

I have a furnace in my home.  It could explode and burn the house down and with that in mind it represents an imminent danger. But my furnace is not connected to a phone line. Why? Because it is reliable and the fact that it has been functioning for years with no trouble is the clearest indication of its quality.

In fact, the only thing I can think of that is connected to mission control 24/7 is the space shuttle and International Space Station (Who said septic systems are not rocket science?).

Now let me be clear; community, clustered and some rural systems do benefit from this type of monitoring and I appreciate the benefits they provide. I utilize these devices as a convenience. The system will function adequately without 24/7 monitoring. But, for single family residential systems, a SCADA control system is excessive, and the only reason you would include one as a minimum requirement is if the system really needs it to let someone know it's broken ...again.

I suppose another handy feature of constant monitoring is that the manufacturer will have volumes of data to point to in the event of a system malfunction...any homeowner who dares to suggest that the manufacturer should assume the expenses associated with a premature malfunction or failure will likely be greeted with pages of data demonstrating how the malfunction or failure was the fault of the homeowner, not the system. Perhaps the homeowner used more water than the system was designed to handle on several occasions during the months preceding the failure, or perhaps there was a power outage at the home while the owners were away, so the system wasn't on all day every day...all of this data and more will be available to the manufacturer with the click of a mouse.

The notion that the primary purpose of remote monitoring is to "tweak" the system remotely, thereby eliminating the need for an in-person service call, just doesn't seem to play out in the field. In fact, I have spoken with a number of maintenance providers who say that they have had to respond--in person--to every single alarm on every system they maintain. Remote "fixes" are few and far between. With the majority of alarm states occurring during highly inconvenient times such as holiday weekends when families host guests in their homes and flows increase, I can only imagine that a fair number of maintenance providers have grown tired of the overzealous remote monitoring programs because they seem to serve but one essential purpose: to more effectively communicate a wider array of alarm states to maintenance providers so that an inherently unreliable technology can be coddled back into compliance whenever the pesky homeowner has done something to "wake the baby", so to speak. By "something" I mean the homeowner has, for example, flushed a few too many times in a given 24-hour period.

I was on a job the other day with an Eliminite system that was installed about 4 years ago. The property had been sold and the new owner asked me to visit with him and explain the system. Apparently, the previous maintenance provider did not visit the system so it had been operation the whole time with no inspections. When I arrived, we opened the lids, checked the pumps and panel and inspected the MetaRocks treatment media. Everything was functioning correctly and the media was in perfect condition. No clogging biomat, no ponding, no stink and no need to hose off the media...no need to "fluff" it, change it jostle it. I explained the system operation to the owner and when I arrived back at the office I found this email he sent:

I'm impressed that a new concept can operate for 4 years from start-up with no malfunctions or routine check-ups. I've been through a lot of start-ups but not many that had no problems.

In my opinion, the requirement for perpetual maintenance contracts covering onsite system has allowed manufacturers to peddle systems that are fundamentally unreliable because they have to be covered under a service contract any way. So who really cares if it work well or not, a Yugo mechanic is buying it. This has resulted in the dumbing down of the entire industry because there is no driving force for innovation or improvement.

Eliminite rejects that position and successfully designs, builds and installs more durable, reliable, efficient and less costly advanced wastewater treatment systems than any other manufacturer.

Do you remember the "lonely" Maytag repairman TV commercials? He was lonely because Maytag products were so reliable that all he did was sit in his shop waiting for a repair call that never came. I would bet the pod people wish for a little Maytag solitude.

2010-08-22T09:52:00.000-06:00

It has been a long time since my last post because I just have not had the time to sit down and write something. Actually, I have been writing a lot...design reports, site plans, new system designs, computer code etc. My work load has necessitated that I put this aside for a while.

We have been installing Eliminite systems in various configurations at an amazing pace and I appreciate the trust that has been placed in our products. The pace has been so brisk that we have added two new distributors who have become very busy keeping up with the orders and installations. I'll try to remember to get some photos up for you to look at.

I know that some of my clients will see this new post and wonder why I am wasting time with this blog when I have system quotes to get out for them. Don't worry, I'm getting caught up and you are next on my to-do list.

If you are designing a system please please please, give us a call before you begin and discuss options. I feel so bad for the guys that design with a competing system because they "design as I see fit" (actual quote from one of the particularly enlightened engineers) only to have their client find out about Eliminite and how much better we can serve them. This situation leads to all kinds of ill feelings where we wind up redesigning the system (sometimes the whole development) and the developer vows never to use XXX and Associates ever again. It is really pretty embarrassing for the engineer/designer so don't get hypnotized by their glossy marketing and slight of hand. Eliminite makes sense and it is just plain better that peat pods, aerated septic tanks or textile filters.

Owners Prefer Eliminite
I spoke to an engineer a couple of days ago that told me his clients have NO CHOICE but to install a textile filter plastic pod system. The engineer stated that the client MUST install a field of buried plastic boxes filled with fish tank fabric because they are required to do this by some obscure, unnamed entity. In my opinion this sounds as if the engineer has some agreement with the supplier or manufacturer of the textile system because the client is surely not under any order to install the plastic pod system. I spoke with the client on this job and he had no idea what the engineer was doing and had in fact been given an entirely different story than the engineer gave to me.

At $700,000.00 for a 14,000 gpd textile pod septic system somebody has a pretty significant financial stake in this one. The truth is I hear this line pretty often. I think it is because most people want the best value for their money and when they compare Eliminite to every other system, we usually represent the highest value and they select one of our systems for their project. Losing the sale causes the competing distributor to suffer from a sever case of heartburn and this is where the shennagins start. They will tell the owner that they cannot even obtain a quote from Eliminite because, for instance, the State required the textile filters(absolutely untrue) or that we are working out of my garage(again untrue....my garage is so cluttered that I can barely walk through it let alone work out of it). If you are an owner and start to hear statements like these, give me a call. I will honestly discuss your job and your options with you.

What really bothers me about the 14,000 gpd system above is that is it for a school and the students are trying to raise money for the septic system on Youtube. So these kids are working hard trying to come up with creative ideas to build a septic system and the engineer will not even entertain the thought of a more reliable, less costly alternative. The money they save could be used for silly things  like BOOKS, and TEACHERS. This kind of crap is so common in this industry that it usually gets overlooked but it just makes me sick. The engineers should b ashamed and demand that K-Mart refund their money for the licenses they purchased during a Blue Light Special.

Textile Company Decides Eliminite has the Best Design
In a previous posting I wrote about the well known septic textile company that is viewed by many as leader in the onsite industry copying one of our designs, effectively establishing Eliminite as the state of the art.  Our systems are designed deliberately to function reliably in a harsh environment. Contrast this approach with the apparent acts of desperation of the textile company. Maybe this explains why they have so many malfunctions, alarms, failures and discontent among their users.  Our goal is to provide reliable systems for a reasonable price. I think, considering our growth, sales and now, imitation by big companies, we are accomplishing this goal.

Drowning with the Turkeys
Back in January 2007, Onsite Installer magazine published an article titled, "Soaring with the Eagles". (I loved this one so much that I scanned it and saved it. I was looking through an old USB thumb drive the other day and rediscovered it) The article describes a treatment system in Minnesota that makes me laugh until I nearly cry every time I read it. It reminds me of those Far Side cartoons that no matter how many times you read it it's still funny as hell.  This one is a classic.

It tells a tale of a 99 lot subdivision served by a peat pod system. Now I don't know exactly who or what cast the spell over the designer that caused everyone of his/her synapses to fuse into a useless mass of mental slag, but if I didn't know better I would think this is one of the best Onsite April Fools jokes of all time.

The system is comprised of 320....yes...you heard that correctly 320...plastic peat pods. This one even beats the textile pod nightmare in Montana that used something like 45 individual plastic fish tank fabric filters. They rig these things together as if they were stringing popcorn to decorate a Christmas tree. It is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen and is an embarrassment to this industry. I am working on a 109 lot development and the footprint for the system is about 30' x 30' and it is fully accessible all year.

The peat system is clearly visible from outer space (you can see it on Google Earth) and if there are extraterrestrials watching our development it will surely postpone their planned visit to introduce themselves because from the looks of that system earthlings still have some evolving to do. The development is listed for sale for about 4 million and not a single home has been built so I guess,on the bright side, 3 years later, the pods haven't clogged. I pity the person that buys this monstrosity. Soaring with the eagles...come on.

Trickling Filter, Packed Bed Reactor, RTF, Fixed Film Bio-Reactor

2010-05-24T11:57:00.000-06:00

I will be presenting several technical references related to the treatment mechanism utilized in the Eliminite system. The first is from WEF Manual of Practice 8. The section I am posting should answer questions related to the ability of trickling filters to equal or exceed suspended growth processes. If you click on the image it will be easier to read.

The key to achieving high treatment levels is a thorough understanding of how these types of systems function. I talk to quite a few people, usually "experts" that tell me RTF systems cannot match the performance of suspended growth systems. The fact is, our systems can meet suspended growth performance and usually exceed them because the process is inherently more stable and resistant to upsets. The result is more reliable treatment performance, lower energy consumption, lower O&M costs and lower capital cost. The next technical post will discuss media size and its relationship to fouling. This should help with decisions related to media selection employed by specific systems. ie. MetaRocks vs. gravel vs. fish tank filter floss(textile) vs. peat moss vs. foam cubes.

Treated wastewater from a cluster system

2010-05-16T09:53:00.000-06:00

This is a sample of treated effluent from an Eliminite MBR (MetaRocks Bio Reactor) . It was tested and found to have less than 1 mg/l ammonia and obviously no TSS. I spoke with the operator and this system has been producing treated effluent to this degree since it was installed almost four years ago. He has never had to change, clean, fluff or hose off the fixed film media. The photo below was taken through the access hatch and lets you see the condition of the MetaRocks. They are clean and full of large pathways for air movement. A thin bio-film has developed on their polar surface but the main paths or oxygen transfer are available and open. This means the microorganisms providing the treatment have easy access to fresh air and the MBR will remain aerobic. Eliminite systems remain aerobic while using much less power than SBR, membrane reactors or other suspended growth systems. This means they cost less to operate and need a lot less babysitting.

I get frustrated when the "experts" of this industry pound their desks and proclaim with conviction that onsite systems need constant maintenance to function properly. Maybe the mainstream onsite systems, (Peat, textile, foam cube, aerated septic tanks etc) need constant operation and maintenance hand holding, but Eliminite systems absolutely do not. I know this concept shatters the perceptions of those in government and academia and it is clear that those people are reluctant to even entertain the possibility that maybe there is a system that is far more robust and stable that the mainstream gadgets. Apparently they think it better to cling tightly to their opinions and close their eyes to possibilities than to simply admit that they have modified their position based upon this new evidence. (It reminds me of the controversy that erupted when Copernicus published his theory contradicting current thinking and stated the the Earth was not the center of the universe).

An Eliminite distributor suggested an analogy between Eliminite and some of the other, more well known, systems. He said Eliminite is like a 20 year old man that eats anything and everything with no concerns for calories, sodium, fat or carbs and still stays thin. Who stays out late and gets up the next morning ready to go. Who plays extreme sports, takes a bruising, shakes it off and keeps on playing. Who has never been sick a day in his life. The other systems (textile, peat, foam cube,aerated septic tanks) are like a 90 year old man. He has to watch everything he eats carefully or he will get develop stomach problems. Who takes a rainbow of different medications every day just to keep going. Who, if he falls down will have to have his hip pinned. Who has a history of illness and constantly has one foot in the grave and he other on a banana peel, ready at any second and for the slightest perturbation in his schedule, to give up the ghost. I think that is an accurate analogy.

The picture on the bottom shows Eliminite effluent compared to bottled drinking water. It is time, if you are truly looking for a system providing high treatment levels and ease of operation that you investigate Eliminite. Oh...we cost a lot less and occupy a much smaller area than peat, textile or foam cube systems. Or I guess maybe it it is heresy to suggest that the earth is NOT at the center of the universe.

Eliminite 120 C

2010-05-08T14:27:00.001-06:00

Click on the link for a list of 120 C features.

120 C Benefits Table

Eliminite-C-Series-Description

A short comparison of advanced wastewater treatment systems

2010-05-04T09:46:00.000-06:00

Three main concerns clients express when exploring options for onsite wastewater treatment systems:

What is the initial cost?
Is the system reliable?
What are the O&M Costs?

In reality O&M costs and system reliability are opposite sides of the same coin. First consider the two main classes of onsite systems:

Fixed film
Suspended growth

Fixed film systems include Eliminite, textile filters, peat bogs, sand filters, upholstery foam and others.   Suspended growth systems do not have nearly the wide variety of bright ideas as the fixed film systems and are really just aerated septic tanks.

If you ask people familiar with the industry you will find that suspended growth onsite systems are notoriously unreliable. I am not arbitrarily slamming these systems, it is just a fact that when you use an undersized septic tank, dump into it all the liquid, solids and grease and bubble air into the resulting "soup" you are going to have problems. The only positive aspect of these aerated septic tanks is that they are cheap!   But, once an owner has one of these installed, there is a reasonable probability that the permit limits will never be met. The unreliability of suspended growth onsite systems has caused many manufacturers to turn towards fixed film systems.

The first Eliminite was installed in early 1994. At that time most of the advanced onsite systems were suspended growth systems. There were no textile filters...the main purveyor of these systems was busy selling sand filters. Foam upholstery cubes were unheard of and most of the peat was still in the bog. I am being facetious to a degree but you get my point, the industry was dominated by suspended growth systems. Maybe this is one reason why there was such a huge push in the 1970's and 1980's to sewer everything; it was a well accepted concept that onsite systems simply did not work.

Fixed film systems changed that. But, what is the most important thing that has to be provided to a fixed film system for it to function? Well wastewater of course...second most important thing then?....AIR. If air cannot get to the biofilm, the system is going to have problems, period. Now think.....Imagine laying on you back and having someone shovel two feet of saturated peat on your face. Can you breathe?   Probably not, and you have the benefit of a diaphragm muscle expanding your chest cavity to allow air to be forced into your lungs in response to atmospheric pressure.   Microorganisms growing on the surface of the wet peat do not have diaphragm muscles. How about textiles? At about 1/2 inch thick these fabric sheets also become saturated with liquid effectively blocking the free diffusion of air to the biofilm. Eliminite uses our proprietary MetaRocks as the medium to which microorganisms attach. When dosed with wastewater, MetaRocks allow the development of a thin liquid film across their surface. A film sufficiently thin to allow efficient oxygen diffusion into the biofilm. But that is not all....the size and shape of the MetaRocks allows air to move freely and if we go back to the example of trying to breathe through wet MetaRocks you will see that the large pores allow free air movement. In fact, even as the biofilm develops on the surface, the pores remain open and available to unhindered passage of air. This is not the case with the other fixed film media. Think about it. Their tiny pore spaces quickly become closed off due to inevitable biofouling. The only thing to do then is to pull the filter media out and clean it.   MetaRocks do not require cleaning.  So back to the point,O&M.

Do you suppose that maintenance costs will increase if the saturated, dirty media has to be removed and cleaned regularly? Will the maintenance costs be lower for a system that has already considered the potential for biological fouling? Why do some systems have such large lids/covers? These big covers are expensive and a manufacturer would not add them (and their additional cost) unless they were absolutely necessary. But they are not necessary to get the media IN, they are necessary to get the media OUT for cleaning or replacement. Eliminite MetaRocks were designed to address and overcome the issue of biological fouling.

Look at the photo of the MetaRocks in the tank (click on it to enlarge the photo) and notice the huge interstitial openings. These wide open passages allow air to move freely. They also accommodate a wide range of hydraulic loading meaning the system can handle varying waste strength and flow. We measured the hydraulic capacity of the media at over 200 gallons per ft^2 per minute. At that rate flushing (even though I have never seen a situation where it has been necessary) is as easy as opening a valve.

Another really useful feature of MetaRocks is that they are lightweight and free-flowing. This means that you can build larger systems by using larger tanks. Think about that for a minute and compare an Eliminite system treating 5000 or 10000 gallons to a peat system or textile filter. The Eliminite system can be built in one tank, two tanks, you choose. The peat and textile configurations are only available as a daisy-chain of little toy pods strung together. Which option sounds easier and less expensive to build and maintain: a single central treatment plant or a spread out maze of little parts and pieces?

Eliminite Advanced Treatment Systems Produce Superior Results for Less Money

2010-04-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, Eliminite was developed in Bozeman, Montana (Oh, and for the record, it is snowing horizontally today in Bozeman). A unique challenge presented by this fact is that it is cold here and it stays cold for a significant part of the year. I know it can get just as cold in say, Wisconsin, but the difference and probably more important is the length of the growing season not just the lowest reported temperature. The growing season is very short in Bozeman....Last year I had a garden full of frozen, green, cold weather tomatoes to prove it....My point is, the climate in Montana provides a harsh proving ground for our onsite systems. So when I provide data showing our system produce total nitrogen concentrations in the low to mid teens, those systems are in Montana. If you hunt you can find Montana results for some of the competing systems, for instance, the textile filters average around 30 mg/l total nitrogen(when they are working). Our results are about two times better and our cost is about half as much as a typical textile system(This means you will be at least 4 times happier with an Eliminite system than a textile system. Unless of course you already own a textile system...then nothing short of winning the PowerBall Lottery can make you happy!). The aerated septic tank systems (you know, the ones with blowers and compressors and fans) total nitrogen results are abysmal. I feel sorry for a homeowner that gets duped into buying one of the aerated septic tank systems thinking that they are going to meet state nitrogen standards. There will probably be more than a few lawsuits once homeowners become aware of the fact that the stinky, noisy thing in their backyard has never met their septic system permit requirements. (You don't have to take my word for it...just ask around) But back to my point. Eliminite has been steadily growing and moving into new areas. New Mexico is one such area.

We have several system installed in New Mexico and have been receiving nitrogen numbers for those systems. This is interesting to me because it is really the first time we have installed Eliminite systems is a less severe climate. (We have quite a few in Colorado but those are in the mountains at 7000 ft and above where it is cold. The nitrogen numbers from these systems are generally in the low teens with the exception of several of the community systems....these are single digit systems.) Here are some numbers from a residential system in NM.
3/15/10 TN ~58 mg/l
3/24/10 TN ~40 mg/l
4/16/10 TN ~9.5 mg/l
The numbers improved in response to an operational change I made. I expect them to improve on the next sampling run.

Another system in NM reports total nitrogen of about 8 mg/l. These are real systems serving real homes with real wastewater. And can you guess how many alarms we have received from them since thay have been installed? ZERO. Not one alarm....and no washing of textiles...no fluffing little foam cubes....no shoveling feculent peat, no wood chips to replace. No "maintenance". Just Inspections as required by the permit. Now I know the "experts" scream that onsite systems require perpetual operation and maintenance contracts in order to function (most of them don't function even with the perpetual operation and maintenance contract) but the fact is any system requiring this level of maintenance, such as needing to be connected to a dedicated telephone line 24 hours a day, is simply an unreliable system. Eliminite is reliable and simple to maintain because it was designed to be that way. I get the sense that other manufacturers deliberately designed unreliable systems in order to develop an additional cash stream resulting from the maintenance contracts. It is similar to the cell phone company giving you the cell phone if you sign up for the contract....but that's just my opinion.

Eliminite to provide advanced wastewater treatment for 33 lot development in Ravalli County Montana

2010-04-10T08:18:00.000-06:00

This project had been approved by the State with a competing wastewater system but when the time came to start building, the owner decided to tell the competition that he was not going to use the XXXXXXXX but rather, decided to install Eliminite. The distributor of the XXXXXXXX whined about how he had been involved with the project for several years and now that it was done the developer was cutting him out. To be fair, the developer did not want to install the USED equipment the distributor quoted and, this is pretty bad, the distributor, in order to get his price down, did not include manufacturer and State required components in his cost estimate. In other words, it was like he gave a quote for a car but failed to mention that that quote did not include an engine or air bags. (This is not the first time they have tried to deceive an owner in order to make the sale)

Our quote was fair and, this is cool, about the same cost as the competitors "modified" system. So, even when they resort to these tactics, they cannot beat our prices or our quality.

From the data I have available, it looks like Eliminite has overtaken the big competitor in Montana. (Look out Colorado and New Mexico XXXXXXXX dealers because you're next!) I am pretty sure the tide has turned and engineers, developers and homeowners have realized that we have the best products and the best prices. Engineers that still specify the other guys equipment are in for a shock when their clients find out about Eliminite. The developer I mentioned above was pretty upset with his engineers for not calling out Eliminite on their plans. They may not realize it but this omission has a real backlash effect and will probably hurt their business down the road because when the owner discovers that Eliminite is an alternative to the XXXXXXXX and the engineer did not make the owner aware, Eliminite gets the job and the engineer gets fired.

Septic tanks and politics??

2010-03-16T15:04:00.000-06:00

This is a comment from a "concerned citizen" regarding septic tank sizing in Montana (DEQ-4 is a design circular put out by the state):

"DEQ4-2004 uses 2.25 times the design flow, which falls within the EPA recommendation of 2-3 times. If anything, it is low."

What the "concerned citizen" is saying is that if the design flow, which we all know is almost always overstated, is, for instance, 5000 gal/day, then the current corresponding septic tank volume of 11,250 gallons is not sufficient. The "concerned citizen" suggests that much of the extra volume is required for sludge and scum storage. This may be true but permit conditions generally require a pumping interval of 3-5 years so there will not be much accumulation anyway. Design flows for homes in the Circular are so grossly overblown that a 10 lot subdivision on a cluster system could easily wind up with a 12,000 to 15,000 gallon septic tank in front of an advanced treatment unit. This really makes no sense if one considers the actual expected flow of about 1800 GPD at full buildout and 100% occupancy. The fact of the matter is, the "concerned citized" is also the distributor of one brand of large fiberglass tank commonly used as a septic tank. This citizen benefits directly from a regulation that requires other citizens to install larger and larger septic tanks in their communities. He has, in fact, suggested that a reasonable septic tank volume should be 3 to 4 times the daily design flow. This number results in a whopper of a tank and probably sends him and his kids on a 3 week vacation to Hawaii! I happen to think that is disgraceful to lobby for such extreme excesses under the guise of environmental concern when the real goal is much less noble: sell more big tanks. Lets face it, a bigger septic tank ahead of an advanced treatment unit dosen't do a damn thing extra for the environment beyond what a reasonably sized septic tank will do. It just costs the people buying it to pay more money. Furthermore, Montana's DEQ is really part of the problem. One DEQ employee recently, at a public meeting, scoffed at the notion that she would have any concern for how additional regulations impact the public's ability to pay for the increased infrastructure. She was saying, in essence, that she does not care if it costs more to build the system, it is simply not her concern. I think this is the wrong approach and if the govt is going to impose additional regulations that will result in additional expense, there better be a compelling reason for the new regulation beyond the phony concern for the environment by a "concerned citizen". But that's just my opinion.

5000 GPD Eliminite System Serves Church and School

2010-03-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

We installed two 620's and a 12,000 gallon precast concrete tank that will serve a church and a school. I discussed the use of the big precast concrete tank with the engineer and the owners decided to use it instead of the more common and more expensive fiberglass alternative. These concrete tanks are available in sizes from about 500 gallons to 40,000 gallons and are considerably less expensive to purchase and install than fiberglass tanks largely due to the fact that the bedding and backfill requirements are so much less stringent. The combination of Eliminite 620's and precast concrete primary tank saved the owner tens of thousands of dollars over the our competition.So if cost is an issue(and it is ALWAYS an issue), you really need to check out our prices and compare them to the other manufacturers costs. I am told that we ALWAYS come in less expensive. We beat the competitions price for a highway rest area wastewater treatment system in Montana by somewhere around $40,000 last week. Obviously we got the job.

Thes concrete tanks arealso great for water storage, fire ponds etc.

If you need a reference, I will be glad to provide one for you.

None dare call it conspiracy

2010-03-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Taken from KTVM News

Caynon Elementary Will Stay Open for Now

Julie Rogers (03/10/2010)

The Canyon Elementary School in Hungry Horse has one year to hope for a miracle.
The school district faces a half a million dollar shortfall in next year's budget. School board members considered closing the Canyon School. But, they decided to keep it open for at least a year. The board will lay off a part-time principal, cut one and a half teaching positions, and three other jobs.

Even at that, the board thinks the school will likely close, but they'll use this year to prepare.

The new septic system represents 40% of the budget shortfall.

It is a recognition of Eliminite's superiority.

2010-03-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

You saw it here first!!! Our C Series onsite wastewater treatment systems. We carefully designed them and have been perfecting them for years. Now I see that our big "competitor" has decided to try to copy the Eliminite system. HA HA! An act Desperation? Engineers, installers, developers, homeowners have been choosing Eliminite over the "big guys" at an incredible rate. They had to do something to stop the bleeding...so ....the easiest thing to do was to TRY to copy Eliminite. Thank you guys! You flatter us. To think our little company, our detailed designs being scrutinized by such a BIG company not with the intention of building something better...something cheaper...something more reliable. Couldn't they one-up us? Come up with a better idea than we did? Improve the thing? At least when Japanese companies copied U.S. auto makers products they tried to improve the product! If you study it you will see that the copy is actually a pretty bad copy. A desperate copy. A cry for help. The fact is, people are getting sick and tired of their unreliable, high maintenance, overpriced rube goldberg gizmos. Take a look at the original and see whay it is still the best value in onsite wastewater treatment.

Here is a quote from General Contractor...I received this in my email yesterday for a 3000 gal/day project.

"I think I can finally put the issue of which system to use to bed. I’m sure both systems would work but when I look at budget cost Eliminite is much cheaper. Therefore please proceed with the design based on the Eliminite system."

I will provide contact info if you ask. Oh...I almost forgot...we will be rolling out 6 new models in about a week. So you "big guys" better stock up on tracing paper!!! HA HA HA!

The names have been changed to protect the guilty

2010-02-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

The players:

Designer: M.T. Head

Septic Tank Guy: Robin M. Daily

Business Name: Lee King Tanks

From: M.T Head

To: Tom

Subject: RE:

Tom:

Got a call from Robin M. Daily at Lee King Tanks and he said he had talked to John Q. Public Servant at

XXXX County and John Q Public Servant told him that Eliminite would be acceptable.

Robin M. Daily called me and wanted to make sure that the bid is apples to apples, so I think we should leave

the location and size for the piping, septic tank and treatment tank locations where they are on the plans.

Otherwise, there could be some complaints about unequal treatment by allowing a complete redesign.
Thanks,

M.T. Head

____________________
Now what does this mean you ask? Well, the deal had already been struck between M.T. Head and Robin M. Daily to use Lee King Tanks and Equipment. We were not given an opportunity to provide a quote for the job. When I complained, Robin M. Daily called John Q. Public Servant and tried to get the govt. official to disallow us from bidding the project. When John Q. Public Servant told Robin M. Daily that we were an acceptable alternative, Robin M. Daily contacted the designer, M.T. Head, and strong-armed him into forcing us to bid the system with the same components being supplied by Lee King Tanks and Equipment. This would be like saying, Ford can bid the job but they have to bid it with GM engines. The result was we were forced to provide an unrealistic price and the client got the shaft delivered to their front yard by their neighbors, M.T Head and Robin M. Daily.

A comment about the school

2010-02-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Normally comments are buried below the post but this one was so well thought out that I want to post it right on the front page where everyone can bask in its wisdom and perspicacity.

Anonymous said...

I think you need to pay attention to budget rules which the school district is tied to. Capital projects are a separate line item from operations (day-to-day expenses), the latter one they are REQUIRED by law to balance. So even if they had kept the money from the sale of Coram school in a bank account, they would not have been able to use it for expenses. The FACTS are the school has died from it's own lack of use and population shifts. Get over it or do something about it financially.

In spite of my earlier wisecrack, I will give the author of the comment some latitude to make uninformed statements. Once. If the school "died from it's own lack of use" why was the septic system designed and built to accommodate a much larger population than is indicated by current use or growth projections. Look at it this way, the current population at the school may generate 1500 gallons of wastewater per day, and this would be a big day. Why, if the school was dying, was the septic system designed for nearly 5000 gallons of wastewater per day? Why was a 15,000 gallon septic tank used for such a tiny flow? Why were 3, 2500 gallon recirculation tanks used? Why was it necessary to install a 3000 gallon dose tank? Why was a septic system for a school showing a decline in population designed as if the student population was swelling faster than a tick on a lazy dog?

As I said earlier, I have some interesting e-mail messages that will help explain why the system was so grossly overdesigned and why it came in for at least twice the budgeted amount.

Now why would I be posting a story like this?

2010-02-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Canyon Elementary appears to have earned a reprieve, at least for one year.

The School District 6 board took a first look at a new plan that would cut staff at the Hungry Horse school, but allow it to remain open next year.

"With this plan and other cuts I'm looking at we could maintain our current status," Superintendent Mike Nicosia told the board Monday.

Teaching and staff positions would be cut at the school.

I have some interesting information regarding the Canyon Elementary School that will help illuminate recent machinations that I am sure several individuals would rather keep in the dark. This school is facing a serious budget shortfall contributed to, in part, by the expense of a new septic system that was recently installed.

I will be posting several e-mail messages that will help explain things and describe what exactly happened.

Update for Colorado Onsite Wastewater Treatment

2010-02-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we have been installing Eliminite systems in Colorado since the 1990's. During this time our popularity has grown and we have experienced greater recognition and presence in the Colorado onsite industry. I strongly recommend that Engineers consider Eliminite for their projects for several reasons including lower initial cost, less invasive maintenance procedures, lower maintenance cost and less visual impact. You will make real points with your clients when you show them how you saved thousands of dollars over competing systems by specifying Eliminite. Also, people do not really want to see all those parts, pieces, covers, vents and components common to the other guys system. We designed Eliminite to be more reliable and more visually appealing. Our approval by CDPHE as an advanced treatment system means we have earned the highest treatment approval and are therefore equivalent, in a regulatory sense, to other advanced treatment systems in Colorado. I am sure you will be glad you checked into Eliminite and I know your clients will appreciate your resourcefulness in saving them money and headaches.

Switching to Eliminite in Montana

2010-01-26T13:56:00.001-07:00

Many of our Montana customers had property that was previously approved with a competing wastewater treatment system but decided that it was in their best interest to switch the system shown on their plans to Eliminite. Quite a few of these owners were told by the distributors of the competing systems that they had no other option and were required to install the system as shown on the plans. This is not true. In fact, the process is really quite simple. In many Montana Counties all that is required is that the swap be noted on the "As-Built" drawings. In other words, no advance permitting is required at all and the owner is free to select Eliminite in place of the other units. I will be posting a list of counties where this rule applies. In the other counties, MDEQ has implemented a simple procedure for completing the swap. I have done this for many clients and it only involves a short application, lot layout sketch, and administrative fee of about $200.00. The process takes 10 days or less. MDEQ decided to streamline the process for making the switch because so many people want to install a different wastewater treatment unit than the one their engineers decided to show on the plans. So what does this mean to you?

Everyone is looking to save some money these days and Eliminite will provide relief from other high priced Level 2 systems. You benefit from our local manufacture and use of local materials. If you are planning to install a system we can almost always save you money. In fact, even on single family residential applications, Eliminite can save you several thousand dollars over our competition. We also give you the option of selecting your own installation contractor and O&M provider. This means you will not be held hostage by a manufacturer to use their installer and pay their maintenance prices.

If you are an engineer, your clients will appreciate your effort to save them money and provide their clients with more choice. Plus, the people who buy lots in the communities you are designing will like the smaller, less obtrusive footprint of Eliminite as well as our less invasive maintenance procedures.

I also must tell you that this procedure works both ways; you may also swap an Eliminite for a competing system in the same manner I discussed above. Honestly, this almost never happens because when people compare advanced treatment systems they will almost always choose to go with Eliminite because we offer the end user so many more advantages, features and significantly lower cost.

This goes in the "I told you so" file

2010-01-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have taken an excerpt from this newspaper article. This is what I mean about the decentralized field....so much of it looks like a joke. And, while the story below is amusing, it represents a real problem in this industry. When you finish reading, give me a call and I can tell you why stupid problems like the one below do not occur with Eliminite.

But, Kennedy's real concern is that his failed non-conventional septic system left him with about seven tons of toxic peat moss.

Peat moss is used as a natural filter in some non-conventional septic systems, Burton said. In Kennedy's case, the peat moss became saturated with waste, causing his septic system to fail and the peat moss to develop pathogens. Kennedy was instructed to shut off his septic system and remove the seven tons of toxic peat moss from the property; however, LCSA, waste management or the health department is not equipped to dispose of the pathogenic material.

Until Kennedy finds a disposal location-he mentioned a site in North Carolina-that will accept his dump-truckload of toxic peat moss, he has to pay $350 every few weeks to pump and haul the sewage and effluent off his property. Since June, Kennedy said he has spent close to $2,000.

"I'm really interested in getting rid of this stuff, and getting my system to where it needs to be, but I can't seem to go anywhere with it," he said during Monday's meeting.

The way to neutralize the contaminated peat moss, Chief of Environmental Health Alan Brewer said Monday, is to spread it across a parcel of land, treat it with lime and let it "bake" in the sun for a period of time. Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) suggested LCSA attempt such treatment, but Supervisor Bruce Tulloch (R-Potomac) said Loudouners wouldn't tolerate the smell.
"If treated with lime, it won't smell," Burton said.
"Then let's use your front lawn," Tulloch countered.

Eliminite 120 C Retrofit

2009-12-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

A client was required to add advanced treatment to his existing onsite system and chose to use Eliminite. (Studies show that Eliminite clients generally have higher IQ's )

The existing septic tank lid is visible near the steps. We just dug the hole and set the 120 C. The whole operation took just a few hours and we were working in sub-zero temps. When finished, all that will be exposed will be the small riser lids set flush with the ground. (Other studies show that Eliminite clients also have more cash left in their wallets)

A few "decentralized" thoughts

2009-12-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

If you were to ask, the people in XXXX would say they need a centralized wastewater treatment system. But the way I think of it, due to its size, is more akin to a cluster or community system. While the plant will be “centralized”, the design concept will be decentralized and therefore, custom tailored to fit precisely the needs of the community.
The field of decentralized wastewater treatment is relatively new and continues to evolve. Perhaps the greatest challenge to the professional practicing in the field is that decentralized design requires a fluent command of numerous disciplines and areas of expertise. While a, large multi-disciplinary engineering firm may be able to assemble the appropriate expertise by employing many individuals, this strategy is not desirable because no one person is sufficiently experienced in all areas of expertise and leadership of the group will be lacking. The result is important tasks are handed off to personnel with little understanding of the goal and without a clear sense of direction or what the finished product should look like. The “Big Pipe” approach works this way. Ultimately, Big-Pipe design places little or no value on the actual needs and resources of the community but requires that the community force itself into compliance with the design. Big-pipe does not rely on creative thinking because every design has already been built and is explained in thousands of textbooks. This lack of creative thought leads to problems for the community however, because once the actual requirements deviate (and they always deviate) from the example presented in the textbook, the designer attempts to force compliance no matter how procrustean the fit. Big-Pipe can be described as a “brute force” approach to wastewater design where rather than the population being served by the treatment system, the treatment system is served by the population.

Decentralized, in contrast, begins with an understanding of the needs and resources of the humans being served by the wastewater treatment system. Assessing realistic growth patterns and growth potential is fundamental because an overdesigned system is, arguably, a more egregious design flaw than an under-designed one. Generally the problems associated with a smaller system may take years to develop and are easy to remedy. A typical grossly oversized big-pipe system will develop problems from the first day it is brought on line. Therefore, the decentralized approach will use realistic methods of flow prediction to arrive at a design that is congruous with the needs of the community. I am not suggesting that we under-design the wastewater treatment system, to the contrary, I suggest we develop a modular plan that allows the community to expand and contract according to its natural tendency and as driven by market forces. A decentralized approach demands an intimate understanding of the physical characteristics of potential sites and service areas so that many options and configurations can be considered before selecting the one best suited to the needs of the community.

An interesting aspect of the economic downturn is that classic big-pipe companies are now vying for much smaller projects than they typically manage. These firms generally, fail to offer due respect to the smaller systems and operate as though a system design for a community the size of XXXX is no more than a down-sized version of a large municipal plant. This thinking would lead one to believe that children are simply smaller versions of adults sharing the same needs ands concerns. Maybe I am stretching the analogy a little but the concept is intact; decentralized wastewater treatment is not simply a scaled-down version of municipal design but rather is a completely different way of thinking and approaching the task.

DNRC Study shows consistent, long term treatment with Eliminite

2009-12-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Decentralized vs Big Pipe

2009-11-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to several blogs where many of the main contributors are manufacturers or engineers who design and build decentralized onsite wastewater systems. A major issue in these forums is the fact that regulatory agencies seem to be much more willing to construct "big pipe" sewage treatment plants than even consider a decentralized system. One such issue has been working its way through the regulatory mess called the L.A. Regional Water Board. ( If I had a choice, I would choose the other kind of water boarding rather than be exposed to this governmental torture). Apparently, onsite systems, the scourge of society, are responsible for all types of horrors such as polluting the bay, the aquifer, the soil....In fact they think they may have found a link between the septic system pollution and nancy pelosi's non-responsive blink reflex. But that's another water-board story.

Here is the interesting part, excerpted from their local paper:

"The Board estimated costs for a new sewer system and treatment plan for the city would range from $16 million to more than $80 million, with locals footing much of the bill. I could mean fees of $500 a month for local residents and $17,000 a month for local businesses." First I have to commend the Board on its "Cracker-Jack job of estimating the costs. $16 million to $80 million...a $64,000,000 spread! Translation: The project will cost more than $80,000,000 because these people don't know what they are talking about. It's like going to a restaurant and reading the menu:

12 oz. Porterhouse Steak.....$30 to $150

16 oz. Prime Rib (fridays and saturdays only).....$40 to $200

Bottle of Bud.....$4 to $20

Or how about....the new car you are looking to buy will either get 8 MPG or 40 MPG. Who knows?

The point is that any option costing businesses $17,000 per month is a dumb option. Period. But here is why, in my opinion, dopey regulators are so fixated on big pipe systems and unwilling to even consider a decentralized option: The manufacturers and designers of "decentralized" systems design and manufacture systems that look, to any rational person, dumb. A case in point can be found in an old edition of Onsite Installer magazine. Back in 2007 there was an article titled, "Soaring with Eagles" or something grand like that. I suggest you find that article, read it and decide whether or not it is "eagles" doing the soaring. Soaring cost? You bet. High flying absurdity? Absolutely. Stratospheric stupidity? Without a doubt. These types of designs, and they are common....in fact many designers and manufacturers cannot wait to land a job like that...only serve to damage the decentralized industry. Who cares that the mfg and designers were able to talk an obviously catatonic client into this foolishness, the fact is, when people think decentralized, that is what they envision because that is what gets designed and installed. As a result the decentralized industry is not given serious consideration because the designs it presents do not appear as if the designer is serious. The pod proliferation looks like something out of the old kids game "Mouse Trap". The idea behind the game was to perform a simple operation with the most convoluted apparatus possible. Take a look at http://www.rubemachine.com/. I am certain most of the decentralized "Big Boys" have a pretty good shot at sweeping the Rube-Goldberg competition with their existing designs.

The result, in the decentralized industry, are goofy wastewater treatment systems requiring, in some designs, continuous on-line babysitting. It seems to me that the only reason a manufacturer would require 24/7 monitoring of the septic system (something that is not very popular with the owner of the system) is because they NEED it. In other words, the system is so unreliable that without a continuous on-line connection, the system is in imminent danger of failing catastrophically without warning. It is interesting that most other industries, automobile industry for instance, have progressed to a point where cars can log 100,000 miles before a tune up. Auto warranties have gone from 12 months to 24 months to 36 months and they keep improving. The onsite industry, in contrast, has regressed from bury it forget it and replace it in 30 years to installing a full time digital link-up in an attempt to keep the goofy thing running until the next onsite maintenance visit. And I don't want to hear about system failures....from what I have seen, the only systems failing are the "new" ones that cost a fortune and were supposed to be a panacea for all of our perceived wastewater issues. If the decentralized industry wants to make progress and compete effectively with big pipe, it will need to conduct a serious self-evaluation and stop pretending that all the snake-oil, pod after pod systems are real wastewater treatment systems and accept what they are, goofy.

Aerobic Treatment Units ATU

2009-10-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

Before my rant begins I just want to express my amazement and gratitude at how many hits this blog receives each day...wow!! I'm starting to get embarrassed. Thank you, I appreciate the fact that so many people take the time to read some of these comments.

I want to take some time to poke fun at a class of onsite wastewater treatment systems (yeah, right) referred to as ATU's or aerobic treatment units. These contraptions are slapped together by a variety of snake-oil purveyors and find their way into peoples yards through a complex and effective manipulation of smoke, mirrors, sleight of hand, payola and coercion, in other words, marketing. In their most basic form (and that's really all there is) they are simply aerated septic tanks. Somehow, someone figured out that that could toss a fish tank aerator into a common septic tank and charge thousands of dollars for it.

(The heart of the scam can be found at your state or local environmental health office however. This is because if the regulations determine that you need and ATU, you cannot simply go buy your own aerator for $250.00 and stick the hose in your septic tank NOOOOOOO......you have to go pay thousands of dollars to buy their aerator so they can stick the hose in your septic tank.)

You have to admit, that's pretty slick marketing... unless you happen to be the one paying for it of course. What's really funny about ATU's is the lengths each peddler will go to to try to differentiate their ATU from all other ATU's. This is a losing battle because they are all exactly the same thing, Aerated Septic Tanks. Some will extol the virtues of the geometric precision of their dynamic aeration chamber which leads to enhanced treatment including the conversion of chicken-shit into chicken salad. Others will try to close the blinds on your ability to think by telling you that their gizmo provides an attachment surface for tired little microbes and thus combines suspended and fixed growth processes. This is of course chicken salad (or was it the other one?) because they don't put enough attachment media in the things to do anything...it's all a hoax, period. All the work is done by the air compressor that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. And yes, the electrical cost is significant.

As far as actual treatment results.....well let's just say that, from what I have seen, the only data that shows that these Aerated Septic Tanks consistently remove nitrogen from wastewater, is the data the snake-oil salesmen have paid for. In other words, in real-world applications, where they are not being spoon-fed a select diet of organically grown, antibiotic free, scientifically diluted, free range wastewater prepared by the galloping gourmet, served according to a precise dining schedule and in carefully measured bite-sized pieces, they just do not seem to work......

ATU's do, however, come complete with an extensive list of excuses provided free of charge by the manufacturer as to why that stink-pot in your back yard is not doing the job you paid for. When the list is exhausted, most of the peddlers have a toll free phone number you can call to get more. I hear a few of these companies have web sites where you can download thousands of previously tested excuses that are guaranteed, in writing, to make you think the reason the thing is not working is your fault. Here are a few:

You are using too much water.
You are not using enough water.
You are using the correct amount of water at the wrong time.
Your water is too hard.
Your water is too soft.
Your water is just right and the monotony is killing the microbes off.
Have you tried talking to it? Try enunciating more clearly.
Have you tried praying for it? To it?
You need to buy another "pod".
You are using antibacterial soap. Can't you just rinse off outside?
You are taking penicillin or some other antibiotic.
You can't use oral contraceptives and expect this thing to work!
How do you expect it to work with all these kids you have?!

ATU....Always Trouble Underground
ATU...Another Troubled Unit
ATU...Always Totally Under-performs

Residential Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Cost

2009-10-05T07:05:00.000-06:00

We finished up a job last week.....the original plans showed the other guys system. A single family home, five bedrooms, nothing special, was being served. I guess they decided to check us out after they received the quote for the components of the system. It was almost $18,000.00 just for the parts!

The Eliminite system came in at $10,800 for the entire system. And we are making a handsome profit at that price.

Like I said....Better products. Better prices.

Smart onsite design means big cost savings

2009-10-04T16:50:00.000-06:00

Advanced onsite wastewater treatment systems are expensive so it is important to get the most value for your money. I want to provide an example of the savings you can realize by selecting an Eliminite system rather than another competing onsite wastewater treatment system. We recently quoted a project with a design flow rate of 5000 GPD. The project engineer had the "big manufacturer" draw up a design and he just pasted it into his plans. The system included a 15,000 gal fiberglass septic tank, 2 treatment boxes full of their media, a 4000 gal recirculation tank, 4000 gal dosing tank, an electric heater and a fresh water cistern to wash off the media everytime it clogs. The owner was also being required to install a dedicated phone line, presumably because the system needed to chat with someone.

The Eliminite system consisted of 2, 3000 gal concrete septic tanks and 2, Eliminite 320 C treatment units. (The largest tank the local concrete company we were working with has is 3000 gal or else we could have done the entire system in one or two tanks.) We do not need the enormous septic tank volume because our MetaRocks are much less likely to clog. The big guys media is so fine and has such little pores that even the tiniest piece of gunk will get caught on the surface and send the whole thing on its way to bio-foul city. The Eliminite design is much simpler, more compact and is not nearly as sensitive installation so the contractor does not have to get stressed out about fractions of inches in elevation. Our price came in a full $10,000 lower than theirs on parts alone. By the time you figure in labor Eliminite blows them away! But, here is the kicker: The competition was so angry that we were bidding the job that they bullied the project engineer into making us bid it with the big fiberglass septic tank even though we don't need one that large. And I am fairly certain that the competitions local distributor is deviating from the manugacturers recommendations regarding system design to try to get his prices down. But, even in the face of their dirty dealings, we were still $10,000 lower than their bid. Without the huge fiberglass septic tank, which we will omit and substitute correctly sized septic tanks, our bid will be around $20,000 below theirs.....not bad considering their price was around $85,000. Our price was for the ENTIRE system...sewer, septic tank, treatment system and drainfield.

The simple truth is that Eliminite is the smartest choice for onsite wastewater treatment systems and I can prove it. Oh....our treatment numbers are better too and we did not need a water cistern to wash the media. Our MetaRocks don't clog the way the other guys media does which means our maintenance is far less invasive, far less expensive and far less STINKY.

I was driving around the other day and I saw one of the competing systems in someones backyard. What a mess!! If I were the homeowner I would bring them up on charges for sticking all that junk right off my patio! Vents, risers, big lids, cleanouts. There is no way you could put up a volleyball net, or a small swimming pool, or throw a ball. The centerpiece of the entire backyard is the shit tank....And when they come next week to hose down the clogged media, you know where the mess is going. It will be splashed all over the patio furniture, the barbecue grill, the dog will be rolling in it. Give us a call and we can help you avoid those kind of mistakes. One lady told me she cursed the day they put the other system in her yard. When she saw how unobtrusive the Eliminite is and what she could have had, I thought she was going to cry.

Advanced Onsite Wastewater Treatment By Choice

2009-09-22T17:59:00.000-06:00

Ask yourself why a developer would scrap his approved plans, choose to push his construction schedule back and submit his 20 Lot project to state review for a second time. Anyone would say that's crazy, considering how much effort goes into the permitting process. Allow me to explain: The developer decided that the onsite wastewater treatment system his engineer specified was not the best choice (that engineer no longer works for him and perhaps engineers and designers should take note of this. Many of the onsite treatment systems we provide, replace the one the engineer specified. In other words, when your clients learns about Eliminite, they, almost without exception, choose it over the competing system...the one YOU specified. I have witnessed those conversations and it can be very embarrasing for the engineer when the client wants to know why his engineer was so cavalier with his interests and money and did not provide him with information on Eliminite.)

Take a look at the photo of the pristine Montana lakefront development and notice the Eliminte system being installed in the foreground. Here in Montana, Eliminite is one of only a few advanced treatment options available, and it is the only system produced by a small, independent engineering and manufacturing firm. Eliminite's competition is produced by corporate giants who've indiscriminately sold cookie-cutter "black boxes" from coast to coast for the past several years, with mixed results. In a state that is at the headwaters of the rest of the nation, what do you see being installed?

The treatment system in the picture took about 3.5 hours to install and saved the developer tens of thousands of dollars compared to the previously approved onsite system. He got a better wastewater treatment system for a lot less money....wow.

In case you were still wondering

2009-09-07T06:50:00.000-06:00

I see that some of the "big boys" have been visiting this blog and the http://www.squirtonsite.blogspot.com/ recently. It looks like they have really been scouring the site! Maybe they are trying to get some fresh ideas on how to improve their products. (remember, you saw it here first) Maybe they are trying to understand exactly how my small company is responsible for winning over so many of their clients. In this tight economy people are looking to get the best value for their money and, I am happy to report, they are increasingly selecting Eliminite as their advanced onsite wastewater treatment system. In fact, our client base has grown dramatically as these new customers do their homework and deliberately choose Eliminite over other systems. Once people become aware of us and what we can do for them we are the system of choice almost without exception. So the "big boys" are well advised to look out because Eliminite is winning over the market everywhere we go. So come on guys....pick up the phone and give me a call and let's see how we can work together to provide the best possible products and services to the public. Oh...I just got a call while I was writing this entry, another client wants to install an Eliminite rather than the advanced treatment system he was already permitted with...right, yours. I'll finish his drawings tomorrow.

Two 320 C Advanced Treatment Systems Serve a School

2009-08-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

Our 320 C Advanced Onsite Wastewater Treatment System is a good choice for schools for several reasons. The compact footprint and minimal surface exposure means valuable space is conserved. The only component that will be visible at the surface when these are finished will be four 24" dia. lids. Compared to other systems, that is a very slight visual impact and if you think about it, has a lot of benefits such as reduced heat loss, more aesthetic appeal and lower risk of being tampered with. Each unit contains more than 300 ft^3 of MetaRocks media and will reliably meet a 60% nitrogen removal standard while gulping 2500 GPD each. Installation of both units took about 3.5 hours and that included setting up the drainfield pumps. Maintenance is easy and we will train school personnel to look after the system. The popularity of our systems is growing dramatically as people become aware of us. In fact once we have had the opportunity to describe and discuss our treatment systems and philosophy with people most of them will specify Eliminite exclusively. I would love to visit with you and show you why these advanced onsite systems make so much more sense.

Eliminite 120 C Replaces Failed Sand Filter

2009-08-11T12:31:00.000-06:00

Here is the finished job before final landscaping. The two small green lids are the only visible system components. No big square lids, and multiple riser lids like some systems. No ugly vent pipes sticking up in the yard, no noisy blowers running all day and all night forever. This system will produce BOD and TSS of about 10 mg/l at a price that blows the competition right out of the water. Really.

Another Failed Sand Filter

2009-08-09T14:28:00.000-06:00

Sand filters, what a mess. I have never liked them and here is why. The photo shows a failed sand filter we abandoned last week. These things were supposed to last for years and years and only cost $4000 to install. Right. This one probably cost the owner $15,000 and probably failed within a year of being put into use. I hear from engineers, and this one was designed by an ENR top 500 firm, about how they have designed hundreds of sand filters and have never had any problems. I am pretty sure the designer knows nothing about this one and therefore it surely gets included in the "never had any problems" category. And what motovation does an engineer have, after specifying "hundreds" of sand filters to admit they don't work? Some people just refuse to give a straight answer.

You can clearly see the thick, black pea gravel layer right above the sand. Notice how clean the sand looks. In fact, the interface had become so completely sealed off that the sand below was almost dry. The gravity drain pipe at the bottom of the sand filter barely had a water stain on it. This is a strong statement about the ability of the soil to account for unreliable onsite treatment systems. I was amused to find the little devices that the manufacturer claimed would shield the distribution orifices clogged with a disgusting black anaerobic sludge. It looks like that was a really great idea, right up there with Edsel, New Coke and "I hate math Barbie". I know some will be offended by what I am saying but I refuse to dance around these issues any more. Real people are paying real money for this garbage. And I don't want to hear any excuses about how sand filters must be designed, installed and maintained properly to function. Anything that requires such an enormous expenditure of resources is simply not suitable for an onsite wastewater treatment system. The reason sand filters are so popular is because manufacturers provide plans that design firms can cut and paste into their drawings. The client gets charged engineering prices for a cut and paste operation. Then, when the thing fails, the homeowner or contractor gets blamed. The sand is too coarse. The sand is too fine. The sand is too dirty. The sand is too clean. The sand is too sandy. The soil cap is too thick, it couldn't breath. The soil cap is too thin, it froze. The owners used too much water, it was overloaded. The owners didn't use enough water, it starved. And I love the investigative questions....Does anyone in the house take penicillin? Use antibacterial soap? Do you use any household cleaners..bleach, lysol,comet. Has anyone ever walked on it? Looked at it? Anything to find some reason to pin the failure of the thing on the homeowner when the simple fact is sand filters are just unreliable and poised, for no apparent reason and at any moment, to fail miserably and create a mini sewage lagoon in the back yard.

My fix? We dug a hole in the center of it and installed an Eliminite 120 C. Problem solved.

If you want to see what I have to say about the "brilliant" distribution system design, check out: http://www.squirtonsite.blogspot.com/

Fixed film systems are really just boxes full of something...

2009-07-23T14:18:00.000-06:00

The question is: What is the "something"? You probably have a pretty good idea of what is available to fill the boxes; sand, gravel, textiles, peat, foam, sponges, plastic sheets, plastic beads and, of course, MetaRocks. Selecting the best treatment media can be confusing; too often, the manufacturer with the best marketing and sales pitch is disproportionately represented in the decentralized market, regardless of the quality of their treatment media.

As an aside, a boneheaded marketing guy once told me that my strategy for marketing my products was all wrong. You see , we dedicate quite a bit of effort and money to improving our products and developing better ways to accomplish our treatment goals. This "head-up-his -a*#, hand-in-my-wallet" marketing clown told me to stop trying to build a better mousetrap, and, instead, build a better brand. In other words, waste more money with him to develop a plan to dupe people into buying products. I could produce an inferior product as long as it had a really slick marketing plan. In fact, this particular marketing firm attempted to convince me that an ideal marketing campaign would include fear-mongering advertisements warning new parents that, without my advanced treatment system, they would be subjecting their children to heightened risk of "blue baby syndrome". That was pretty much the last straw for me. I fired that clown and kept improving the effectiveness, efficiency, reliability and value of our products. From the looks of things, however, it appears that many of my competitors embrace similar advice, and have profited not through the merits of their systems, but through their impressive marketing force and widespread distribution networks.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

So, what makes an effective treatment media?

Most people will say that surface area and porosity are the most important characteristics of packed bed reactor/biofilter media used in onsite systems. Using this logic, one might decide that a media offering a surface area of 45 m^2/gram and a porosity of 55% would provide superior wastewater treatment compared to media with 0.0005 m^2/gram and a porosity 40%. However this comparison is between Kaolinite clay and coarse sand. Clays have extremely high specific surface areas but are not at all suitable for use as a wastewater treatment medium. ( A cubic ft of Montmorillonite for example, has over 8000 Acres of surface area) Clearly, then, there are considerations other than maximizing the specific surface area of the media. Furthermore, the high porosity of clays and other types of media, when considered alone, really mean nothing. If the porosity is "dead-end" porosity or closed porosity, or if the pores are small enough to be bridged by microbial growth, then, as the media is put to use, there is a corresponding decrease in porosity over time. If, for instance, water can seal off pore spaces, then that porosity really is not available for treatment purposes. Enter the slick marketing clowns who will try to convince you that a treatment media is better simply because it boasts a lot of surface area.

Think of a kitchen sponge. It has internal porosity, and this porosity is effective porosity because the pores connect to one another. The sponge probably has a pretty high specific surface area, as well. Now, imagine the sponge being saturated. Even after gravity drainage, water is still being held in some of the pores. The water that is held creates a barrier to the transfer of air in and out of the pore spaces. Aerobic bacteria will be starved for O2 and die off. Is this what you want to happen in an aerobic bioreactor? NO!

Now think of all the different types of treatment media and evaluate whether or not the phenomenon I described can occur in each one. If it can, grab your rubber gloves, bleach, Hefty Steel Sacks, pressure washers and maybe even a Haz-Mat suit, because you will be washing, "fluffing", or replacing that media sooner than you think.

Next, I want to discuss how MetaRocks overcomes the limitations so apparent in other packing media.

Community systems

2009-07-10T13:23:00.000-06:00

I am working on several community wastewater treatment systems that I thought I would present here. My philosophy regarding these systems is that they have to fit the application, be reliable, be cost effective and do a great job treating wastewater. I do not at all like the fad of stringing together "pods". And I don't really care what you use to fill the pods. I think that type of system looks goofy and ultimately give onsite and decentralized a black eye. I prefer custom and semi-custom systems that are sized for the job. The only reason a manufacturer daisy-chains a bunch of little boxes together is because it is cheaper for them to make one thing and replicate that thing over and over. It's odd, however, that the cost benefit does not pass through to the owner. Here is a sweet little community system I am working on. This will go inside a small building so that it can be accessed any time of the year. Here is a photo of one we did a while ago.

Compare this very professional onsite wastewater treatment system to the "field of pods" concept. This is why our little Montana company has been taking so much work from the big guys.

We can add UV disinfection too.

If you want it completely buried...we can do that.

Nobody wants to see the septic system

2009-07-03T10:10:00.000-06:00

This photo illustrates our philosophy of designing advanced onsite systems for the people that will use them. This Eliminite serves several homes and the only exposure of the system will be the small green risers shown in the photo. No huge lids, stand-pipes and multiple risers. It seems to me that most manufacturers design and build their "thing" for their own convenience and the homeowner is expected to put up with it and shut up. Unlike most, Eliminite takes care to reduce the visual impact of our advanced treatment systems because nobody wants to see the septic system.

Another grueling day at the office

2009-06-30T09:34:00.001-06:00

Can you spot the mountain goats?

MetaRocks are an ideal treatment medium

2009-06-29T10:05:00.000-06:00

Here is a photo of a system that has been in operation for 3.5 years. These MetaRocks have a single slit to increase surface area. Currently, we put three slits on each one. Again, no flushing, hosing, fluffing, replacing or washing has been done. MetaRocks are highly resistant to biological fouling and the most recent sample from this system measured about 6 mg/l total nitrogen. You can imagine how easy Eliminite maintenance is compared to other systems.

2009-06-27T08:46:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting photo. This system was installed four years ago an is located at about 7500 ft above sea level. You are looking at an older style version of our MetaRocks, we have improved them significantly since this system was built. What is important however, is that these MetaRocks have never been washed, hosed off, fluffed, changed removed, replaced or cleaned. There is obvious junk on them from opening the lid and knocking rocks and wood chips in the tank but the large open pores are also clearly visible. Here is the good part: the influent to this system is quite potent TKN: 112-164 mg/l and BOD 800-1500 mg/l.

When the Eliminite was turned on effluent TN measured 20.5 mg/l. Considering the minimal maintenance this system requires and its alpine location, a nitrogen reduction such as this is remarkable.

2009-06-26T11:04:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of an Eliminite retrofit where we added a Model 120 C to an existing system in a locally supplied precast tank. We built the system in the field by modifying the tank to accommodate the Eliminite components. You can see our Lung in the foreground and the media bed in the large compartment. This system contains about 100 ft^3 of MetaRocks media.

2009-06-18T13:50:00.000-06:00

We complete the job by continuing to fill the tank with MetaRocks media. This system has approximately 600 cubic ft of MetaRocks media and will treat 4000 GPD to tertiary standards. No smoke and mirrors here. We use a lot of our proprietary media and build a remarkably robust system with a small footprint and simple maintenance requirements.

2009-06-18T13:48:00.000-06:00

The bottom is complete, next the top tank section is placed and we continue to fill with MetaRocks.

2009-06-18T13:46:00.000-06:00

In this photo , Tony is filling the tank with MetaRocks.

2009-06-18T13:42:00.000-06:00

Eliminite model 620 C being installed at a state park.