The conventional practice of aerating collection or equalization tanks, often recommended by consultants to prevent septic conditions, has been challenged by the innovative approach of EcoTec. With a track record of designing and operating over a thousand sewage treatment plants sans aeration in collection tanks, EcoTec has not only enhanced treatment efficacy but also significantly reduced unnecessary expenses associated with aerating these tanks.

Traditionally, collection tanks are aerated by diverting 10 to 30 percent of air from the blower, employing coarse bubble aerators. However, this aeration primarily aims to keep water in motion and particles in suspension, devoid of any treatment efficacy. Conversely, within the equalization tank itself, oxygen diffusion occurs naturally, activating microbes. These microbes, grappling with higher pollutant loads and limited oxygen availability, target the easily available organic compounds called readily biodegradable COD (rbCOD), commonly referred to as BOD.

The presence of rbCOD in wastewater feed to the aeration tank is pivotal for initiating pollutant digestion. Without it, microbes, swiftly activated in heavily aerated conditions, derive energy from rbCOD before tackling the more recalcitrant COD in the aeration tank. This phenomenon not only impacts the efficiency of the nitrification process but also leads to wastage of dissolved oxygen when optimal conditions for microbial activity are not maintained in the aeration tank. Moreover, denitrification and biological phosphate removal is also hindered by aerating the collection tank.

In essence, EcoTec’s EcoSBR plants are designed to take advantage of the natural need of microbes and biomimicry, emphasizing the role of rbCOD in sewage treatment processes, and optimizing treatment to enhance efficiency while reducing costs.