Sewage treatment package plants
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS - WHAT ARE THEY?
Package plants are a type of sewerage treatment system. A relatively new concept, arising from the awareness that septic tanks, and their notorious spouses - soak-aways - were no longer acceptable. As more land became available for housing developments, soak-aways quickly showed their ugly side. Wastewater, or sewage, could no longer be disposed of via a soakaway, but had to be treated. In essence, this foul water had to be removed, and then returned, all cleaned up, thus offering the environment no harm.
Package plants, by design, are prefabricated sewage systems which are installed on site, specifically to treat that property's wastewater.
These treatment systems are designed (or should be) to cater for a set daily volume, and the treated wastewater is ideally recycled within the property.
Package plants are manufactured from a variety of materials, mainly plastic, fiber glass and steel. Installation is either above or underground.
Generally, the better systems are modular, and therefore able to treat a range of daily volumes.
And then these systems are specifically designed for domestic sewage, as opposed to commercial or industrial wastewater. Establishments like butcheries, bakeries, fast-food outlets, petrol stations, restaurants, and clinics / hospitals produce a variety of chemicals, disinfectants and high biological oxygen demand (BOD), so normal systems just wont cope. In many cases, the water from these establishments are toxic, and would be dosed with further chemicals, to allow biological action to take place.
Currently, there is no other feasible method of treating domestic wastewater, except biologically.
South Africa
Treatment
Treatment Systems
Plants
Generally, they are manufactured from roto-moulded plastic, or fibre-glass tanks, either above ground or below the surface. These underground units could look like . . .well . . .nothing except for a few plastic lids, protruding through the grass. They are quite, and odorless, generally, and often the treated water would discharge directly into a soak-away / french drain. In cases like this, one would not know if the plant is working, and if not, then these sewage systems are nothing more than costly septic tanks.
The more common system, like the Scarab, are above ground, so you can see them, and know if they stop working. Most are manufactured from roto-moulded plastic.
However, a few are made from used shipping containers, with built-in compartments to facilitate the required biological processes. They would arrive on site, like any other container, off loaded with a crane and "plugged in". Sewage is highly corrosive, and anything made from steel will rust, and therefore have a limited lifespan, despite being extensively corrosion protected.
The more common system, like the Scarab, are above ground, so you can see them, and know if they stop working. Most are manufactured from roto-moulded plastic.
However, a few are made from used shipping containers, with built-in compartments to facilitate the required biological processes. They would arrive on site, like any other container, off loaded with a crane and "plugged in". Sewage is highly corrosive, and anything made from steel will rust, and therefore have a limited lifespan, despite being extensively corrosion protected.
SCARAB SOUTH AFRICA - HEAD OFFICE
Package plants - inventing flight
The early sewage treatment systems were pretty crude, using household fish tank air-pumps, pieces of cut up PVC pipes and air lift mechanisms. None of them flew at all, but we were inventing flight. I was involved with an early system before 1992, and they were shocking, in hindsight.
But, those were exciting times. There were no rules. and no really complete products. There was an urgency to get to market, and the rush left some designs with serious design flaws, and are still evident in the very same products on the market today.
Scarab was different. We started off with all the correct equipment, designs and technology, based on extensive research. We used a very rare commodity in this industry - yes - common sense! What didn't work on other systems, we discarded in our design, and what worked, we kept, modified, updated and retested. When we were informed that a particular design didn't work, we double checked. Finally, the product you see today, is complete, tested and endorsed.
But, those were exciting times. There were no rules. and no really complete products. There was an urgency to get to market, and the rush left some designs with serious design flaws, and are still evident in the very same products on the market today.
Scarab was different. We started off with all the correct equipment, designs and technology, based on extensive research. We used a very rare commodity in this industry - yes - common sense! What didn't work on other systems, we discarded in our design, and what worked, we kept, modified, updated and retested. When we were informed that a particular design didn't work, we double checked. Finally, the product you see today, is complete, tested and endorsed.
