On-lot collection tank for Orenco Sewer
Gravity Septic
As wastewater enters the septic tank in a gravity system, it pushes effluent out the other end to the drainfield through a network of pipes. This is called “gravity flow” to the drainfield, and these systems don’t need a pump.
The most important part of a gravity septic system is the septic tank, because a good-quality tank can remove two-thirds or more of wastewater contaminants.* The right tank has to be properly sized, watertight, and structurally sound. Leaking tanks pollute your yard and the groundwater. They also allow groundwater to flow into your tank, which overloads your drainfield and shortens its life.
Your septic tank also needs to have access risers to-grade (showing above the ground) that are equipped with durable, bolted lids. These risers and lids give service providers access to your tank – without having to dig it up – so they can check the sludge and scum levels inside. Then, they can pump your tank when the levels get too high. And bolted lids make sure your system is safe for kids and pets.
Also, make sure your tank is equipped with an effluent filter. An effluent filter removes large particles from the wastewater before it flows to your drainfield. This extends your drainfield’s life and protects your investment.
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On-lot septic tank and AdvanTex treatment system
Advanced Treatment Systems
Orenco’s AdvanTex® Treatment Systems provide environmentally sustainable treatment of residential wastewater flows. They’re the ideal solution for difficult soils, small sites, system upgrades and repairs, new installations, pretreatment, nitrogen reduction, and disinfection. One of the major benefits of AdvanTex is that it provides, consistent, reliable advanced treatment under real-world conditions, not just in a controlled testing environment. And one reason for that is AdvanTex Treatment Systems process and discharge small amounts of treated wastewater throughout the day, so surges don’t overwhelm your system. The treated effluent is so clean it can be reused for subsurface irrigation (where regulations allow) or discharged to shallow, inconspicuous trenches.
AdvanTex AX20 Treatment Systems require very little space to install. And some jurisdictions allow you to reduce the size of your drainfield area with AdvanTex. That makes AdvanTex ideal for small sites or for homeowners who want more use of their yard.
AdvanTex Treatment Systems may cost a little more up front than other advanced treatment systems. However, thanks to low maintenance requirements, they cost much, much less over time. Pumping costs and equipment replacement costs are a fraction of those for other technologies. Plus, AdvanTex systems protect your drainfield, not to mention public health and the environment.
The AdvanTex AX-RT Wastewater Treatment System is the latest residential treatment system in Orenco’s AdvanTex line. The AX-RT is a compact “plug and play” wastewater treatment system. It can be shallowly buried and installed right behind a septic tank, as easily as a septic tank, so contractors can schedule more jobs in a single day.
This simple design fits on the smallest lots and reduces costs for excavation, installation, and O&M. That means property owners can buy AdvanTex quality at a competitive price.
Household wastewater includes all kinds of particles and organisms, including bacteria like e-coli and viruses. And in some locales, onsite wastewater treatment has to be followed by ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
That’s why we developed the Orenco UV Disinfection Unit. It reduces bacteria by 99.999% (5 logs)* and is easy to remove and clean. Plus, it’s UL-recognized in both the U.S. and Canada.
The Orenco UV unit is available as an add-on option with our AdvanTex Treatment Systems (both residential and small commercial). By coupling it with AdvanTex, our UV unit will have outstanding effluent going into it, giving homeowners and property managers an excellent kill rate for bacteria and viruses.
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Cutaway of a tank with a pumping system
Pumping Systems
In a pumping system, effluent is pumped from the septic tank to the drainfield or to an additional treatment unit. This configuration allows the drainfield or additional units to be uphill from the tank.
The heart of the system is the filtering pump vault, and Orenco’s pump vaults include a patented Biotube filter. Our filter has several times the capacity of other filters and removes about two-thirds of suspended solids. This reduces clogging of drainfields or other downstream components, which extends their life. ProPak™ and EasyPak™ pump packages work for most residential onsite applications. All of the components are designed to work together, simplifying installation and longterm maintenance. Because they’re made of of stainless steel, thermoplastics, and fiberglass, our pump packages are corrosion-resistant and durable, reducing lifetime system costs. These pump packages also include a control panel that delivers effluent to the drainfield or additional treatment unit in small, even doses all day, which improves system performance.
Our ProPak Pump Package is designed for use in a single-tank system with either one or two compartments. Eliminating the second tank makes treatment systems more compact and more economical. Each pump vault houses either one (simplex) or two (duplex) turbine effluent pumps, discharge assemblies, a Biotube filter cartridge, a float switch assembly, and a float stem bracket. Float switches or programmable timers control the pump as it doses incremental amounts of effluent from the tank.
Orenco’s EasyPak Pump Package is the onsite industry’s first low-profile pump package specifically designed for use in a pump tank that follows a septic tank. EasyPak was developed to replace makeshift “pump on a block” set-ups with a complete, ready-to-install and easy-to-maintain package.
In other systems, heavy low-head pumps are set precariously on an unscreened concrete block. This makes servicing them almost impossible. And because the effluent isn’t filtered, particles can pass through the pump to the drainfield. This significantly increases the risk of your drainfield failing. With EasyPak, a lightweight, high-performing turbine pump is surrounded by Biotube filter cartridges. This setup is easy to service and eliminates the risk of solids being pumped to the drainfield. It also allows pumping to nearly the bottom of the tank.
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