System and process for removing nitrogen compounds and odors from wastewater and wastewater treatment system

Abstract

A wastewater treatment system includes independent wastewater treatment facilities. Each of the facilities has wastewater treatment subsystems and is monitored by a central monitoring location. Wastewater collection subsystems hold wastewater to be treated. Monitoring subsystems measure wastewater process parameters. Control devices receive control commands and, dependent upon the command received, alter parameters of the wastewater treatment subsystems. A communication device connects the wastewater treatment subsystems and the control devices and sends information corresponding to the wastewater process parameters measured by the monitors, receives control messages corresponding to the control commands, and transmits control commands the control devices to alter wastewater process parameters. The central monitor manages the watershed by receiving information, evaluating changes to be made, sending the control messages, and coordinating the monitoring of the independent wastewater treatment facilities by allowing the independent wastewater treatment facilities to at least one of trade, sell, and exchange excess effluent capacity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wastewater treatment system for a watershed defining an aquifer or waterway, comprising:
 a network of independent wastewater treatment facilities, each of the independent wastewater treatment facilities having:
 wastewater treatment subsystems including:
 a wastewater collection subsystem for holding wastewater to be treated; 
 a filter pump subsystem comprising a wastewater pump fluidically connected to the wastewater collection subsystem and operable to pump wastewater out from the wastewater collection subsystem; 
 at least one filtration subsystem comprising at least one bioreactive filter fluidically connected to the wastewater pump and operable to filter wastewater received from the wastewater pump, the at least one bioreactive filter having:
 a sump defining a sump cavity for receiving wastewater therein; 
 a fluidized-bed filter disposed in the sump cavity; and 
 an output fluidically connected to the fluidized-bed filter and operable to discharge filtered wastewater from the fluidized-bed filter; 
 
 a monitoring subsystem comprising monitors operable to measure wastewater process parameters of the wastewater treatment subsystem selected from at least one of the group consisting of process flow, water level, water temperature, pH, nutrient concentration, total suspended solids, actual weather condition at the wastewater treatment facility, and effects of local weather condition on the wastewater treatment facility; 
 
 control devices operable to receive at least one control command and, dependent upon the at least one control command received, to alter at least one parameter of at least one of the wastewater treatment subsystems; and 
 a communication device operatively connected to the wastewater treatment subsystems and to the control devices and operable:
 to send information corresponding to the wastewater process parameters measured by the monitors; 
 to receive control messages corresponding to the at least one control command; and 
 to transmit the at least one control command to at least one of the control devices to, thereby, alter a wastewater process parameter; 
 
   at least one monitor located to measure water that includes wastewater discharged from two or more of the independent wastewater treatment facilities and operable to monitor water quality parameters of the watershed; and   a central monitoring location operable to manage the watershed by:
 receiving the information corresponding to the wastewater process parameters from each communication device; 
 evaluating if changes are to be made by at least one of the independent wastewater treatment facilities; 
 sending the control messages to at least one of the independent wastewater treatment facilities; and 
 coordinating the monitoring of the independent wastewater treatment facilities by allowing the independent wastewater treatment facilities to at least one of trade, sell, and exchange excess effluent capacity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of trading, selling, and exchanging of excess effluent capacity is for excess waste capacity selected from at least one of the group consisting of ammonia, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, nitrogenous materials, and heavy metals. 
     
     
         3 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central monitoring location is operable to manage the watershed by at least one of regulating and diverting discharge from the independent wastewater treatment facilities to maintain compliance with permissible, monitored watershed parameter tolerances. 
     
     
         4 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central monitoring location includes a central processing system having a transceiver operable to communicate with the communication device, the central processing system being operable to receive the information from each communication device of the wastewater treatment facilities and to transmit at least one control message to each communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 4 , wherein the central processing system is programmed to capture, process, and record the received information and, then, remotely operate each wastewater treatment facility by sending the at least one control message. 
     
     
         6 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 5 , wherein the control devices comprise at least one of the group consisting of cameras, valves, pumps, chemical dispensers, relays, switches, and facility shut down devices. 
     
     
         7 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 4 , wherein the central processing system comprises a personal computer and the communication device comprises a communication connection to the Internet. 
     
     
         8 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the wastewater treatment subsystems comprises:
 a throughput rate; and   a turnover rate independent of the throughput rate.   
     
     
         9 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluidized-bed filter is supported upright by the sump and has an upwardly expanding, hollow, conical filter body and filter media inside the filter body. 
     
     
         10 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the wastewater collection subsystem includes a solids separator. 
     
     
         11 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bioreactive filter has one aerobic filter stage and two anaerobic filter stages. 
     
     
         12 . A distributed wastewater treatment system for a watershed defining an aquifer or waterway, comprising:
 a network of distributed wastewater treatment facilities operatively unconnected to a central, downstream wastewater treatment facility, each of the distributed wastewater treatment facilities having:
 wastewater treatment subsystems including:
 a wastewater treatment device; and 
 a monitoring subsystem comprising at least one monitor operable to measure wastewater process parameters of the wastewater treatment subsystems selected from at least one of the group consisting of process flow, water level, water temperature, pH, nutrient concentration, total suspended solids, actual weather condition at the wastewater treatment facility, and effects of local weather condition on the wastewater treatment facility; 
 
 at least one control device operable to receive at least one control command and, dependent upon the at least one control command received, to alter at least one parameter of at least one of the wastewater treatment subsystems; and 
 a communication device operatively connected to at least one of the wastewater treatment subsystems and the at least one control device and operable:
 to transmit information corresponding to the measured wastewater process parameters; 
 to receive control messages corresponding to the at least one control command; and 
 to transmit the at least one control command to the at least one control device to, thereby, alter a wastewater process parameter; 
 
   at least one monitor located to measure water that includes wastewater discharged from two or more of the distributed wastewater treatment facilities and operable to monitor water quality parameters of the watershed; and   a central monitoring location operable to manage the watershed by:
 receiving the information corresponding to the wastewater process parameters from each communication device; 
 evaluating if changes are to be made by at least one of the independent wastewater treatment facilities; 
 sending the control messages to at least one of the independent wastewater treatment facilities; and 
 coordinating the monitoring of the independent wastewater treatment facilities by allowing the independent wastewater treatment facilities to at least one of trade, sell, and exchange excess effluent capacity. 
   
     
     
         13 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a wastewater collection subsystem for holding wastewater to be treated; and   a wastewater pump subsystem comprising a wastewater pump fluidically connected to the wastewater collection subsystem and operable to pump wastewater out from the wastewater collection subsystem, the wastewater treatment device being operable to treat wastewater received from the wastewater pump and being at least one filtration subsystem comprising at least one filter fluidically connected to the wastewater pump and operable to filter wastewater received from the wastewater pump.   
     
     
         14 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one filter comprises at least one bioreactive filter having:
 a sump defining a sump cavity for receiving wastewater therein;   a fluidized-bed filter disposed in the sump cavity and supported upright by the sump, the fluidized-bed filter having an upwardly expanding, hollow, conical filter body and filter media inside the filter body; and   an output fluidically connected to the fluidized-bed filter and operable to discharge filtered wastewater from the fluidized-bed filter.   
     
     
         15 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one of trading, selling, and exchanging of excess effluent capacity is for excess waste capacity selected from at least one of the group consisting of ammonia, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, nitrogenous materials, and heavy metals. 
     
     
         16 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , wherein the central monitoring location is operable to manage the watershed by at least one of regulating and diverting discharge from the independent wastewater treatment facilities to maintain compliance with permissible, monitored watershed parameter tolerances. 
     
     
         17 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , wherein the central monitoring location includes a central processing system having a transceiver operable to communicate with the communication device, the central processing system being operable to receive the information from each communication device of the wastewater treatment facilities and to transmit at least one control message to each communication device. 
     
     
         18 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 17 , wherein the central processing system is programmed to capture, process, and record the received information and, then, remotely operate each wastewater treatment facility by sending the at least one control message. 
     
     
         19 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control device comprises at least one of the group consisting of cameras, valves, pumps, chemical dispensers, relays, switches, and facility shut down devices. 
     
     
         20 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 17 , wherein the central processing system comprises at least one of a personal computer and a workstation, and the communication device comprises a communication connection to the Internet. 
     
     
         21 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the wastewater treatment subsystems comprises:
 a throughput rate; and   a turnover rate independent of the throughput rate.   
     
     
         22 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 13 , wherein the wastewater collection subsystem includes a solids separator. 
     
     
         23 . The wastewater treatment system according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one bioreactive filter has one aerobic filter stage and one anaerobic filter stage.