A domestic sewage treatment system that's:

618 South Road, Angle Park 5010 South Australia

Phone: (08) 8445 7822 Fax: 8268 2335

www.ri-industries.com.au

To achieve a system which is reliable, affordable and positive for our environment, South Australian manufacturer Ri Industries drew on its engineering knowledge and 50 years of experience in producing concrete tanks and related products.

"We examined the common type of water treatment system, which normally uses a concrete tank into which a separate fibreglass or concrete baffle is fitted and then sealed.
It was found that sealing in such a design was not always adequate, so we designed a mono cast model. With integrally cast baffles, our design has been extremely reliable under tests.
No untreated effluent can he inadvertently pumped out into the environment. This of course appeals to environmentally conscious people, who will also be impressed by the relatively low cost brought about by our production methods."

Other physical features of interest include two aeration chambers,12 volt auto reset alarm, automatic sludge and skimmer returns, and a (optional) specially designed emergency outlet for effluent should there be a rare pump failure. This emergency outlet allows liquid to run into alternative disposal rather than flooding the system with disinfected irrigation liquid, but triggers an alarm to alert occupants there is a problem which requires attention (the warning time frame is far greater than that of most other systems).

The feature which really sets the Ri Industries treatment system apart from others is the mono cast construction and the Bio Media Filter. While design and engineering are hallmarks of Ri Industries, so is the company's "customer first" policy, which accommodates customer involvement in construction and also incorporates round the clock service.

Ri Industries can provide names of installers in your area that are familiar with the RI Treatment Systems. Aspects of installation include agreement on site drawings, excavation, placement of the system into the ground, connection of power, setting up an irrigation system, and landscaping. If used in the correct manner and maintained according to the recommended schedule, the system will be effective for more than 30 years.
It is recommended that householders have units serviced every three months to ensure consistent performance. Although checks of such things as pumps, chlorination, aeration and irrigation systems take place at three month intervals, a full service (including replacement of certain parts) will usually only be required every three to five years.
Ri Industries provides customers with a maintenance manual which in addition to detailing maintenance schedules, outlines the remedies whenever certain problems arise. The Ri Industries domestic Aerobic System, however, will normally work continuously without problems. Most problems of course are encountered in extreme circumstances, like overloading with solid wastes and intrusion of things like rags, newspaper, oils, scraps etc

1 All waste water is gravity fed into primary sewage chambers where it undergoes settlement and digestion for 24 hours.

2 Settled waste water then flows into aeration chambers where air is pumped through in fine bubbles, providing the distribution of air and turbulence required for effective treatment.

Turbulence causes liquids to travel in a circular motion through bio media which encourages biomass growth.

The biomass assimilates nutrients and oxygen from the water, leading to a gradual reduction of impurities as the effluent passes through the system.

3 Effluent and sludge then pass into the settlement chamber, where the sludge settles to the bottom before being returned to the primary chambers, along with the scum which floats in the settlement chamber.

4 Settled effluent passes through the chlorinator into the irrigation chamber where it is held for irrigation or other means of disposal.

* Scum ami sludge are relumed to the primary chambers by a very effective return system which keeps the system functioning for up to three months.

* The return system enables excess sludge to go back for storage and digestion, suppresses odor-emitting micro-organisms, and encourages micro­organisms to be kept at maximum population levels.

* Problems of the treatment plant not being used for extended periods are reduced.

Treatment Tank

The treatment tank is manufactured from concrete in a mono cast process. Baffles, floor and walls are cast in the one operation using fine tolerance steel moulds which produce reliable wall thicknesses.

Tank capacities arc: primary septic chambers 3,250 litres; aeration chambers 2,500 litres; settlement chamber 400 litres; and irrigation chamber 400 litres.

Pumps

The standard irrigation pump is a Grundfos AP12 which gives a head of some 12m. Because of the high quality of effluent being passed through the system the normal manufacturer's warranty of 12 months is extended to 24 months.

For aeration a Nitto Air pump is used. This has been found to be a reliable and efficient device.