P O Box 3006 West Ipswich QLD 4305 Ph: 5460 9111 5460 9111 5460 9111 5460 9111 Facsimile: 5460 9110 E-mail: [email protected]8th Edition Smart Sewage Solutions Pty Ltd White Book White Book White Book White Book Complex Effluent & Wastewater Recycling Made Safe and Simple Epsom Sandbed Filtration System The LIFESTYLE choice Epsom www.smartsewagesolutions.com.au
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� the delivery and placement of a package (treatment system and water tanks) on the
same day;
� the excavation service, including bedding sand and water;
� personal hand-over to the home owner (exclusive to Smart Sewage Solutions);
� an informative owner’s guide for each treatment system (produced by Smart Sewage Solutions);
� the first year’s maintenance service is provided for all treatment systems, with the option to renew the
maintenance agreement for the second year .
You can be assured that it is our continuing commitment to provide excellent customer service, supported by our
extensive experience in the wastewater industry, the quality of the products and services we provide, and our
ongoing membership and Vice Presidency of the Qld Wastewater Practitioners Association.
Best Regards
Wastewater FAQs (Epsom)
Septic tanks use old technology utilising underground trenches. They
are heavily reliant on good quality topsoil to allow the wastewater to
percolate through the soil. In Australia, the soils are mainly weathered
over the last 360 million years, and it is difficult to find reasonable
quality topsoil over the entire length of the required trenches. Septic
tank trenches can pollute ground water supplies and can leak onto
lawns with infectious, smelly discharge. This has the potential to cause
serious illness, particularly in children and the elderly or infirm.
Aerobic treatment systems use a mechanical blower via diffusers (huge
increase of surface area) to re-create the air spaces normally found in
good quality topsoil.
The Epsom treatment system is sized to accommodate the required
amount of air supply in the voids between the gravels and sands (which
are carefully graded and layered). This is replicated inside a dedicated
liner, where the primary treated effluent is evenly distributed and then
allowed to percolate, collecting valuable oxygen for the aerobic bacteria
before returning back to the system for irrigation. (Note: the air supply is
therefore maintained regardless of power failure.)
What is the difference between a septic tank, an aerated treatment
system and the Epsom system?
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Negligible. The Epsom does not have a blower attached to the system,
and the filter and effluent pumps run for ONLY 10 minutes per day
(approximately).
What is the average daily power usage?
Minimal. The Epsom is the only true install-and-forget system. It is
approved for ONCE-A-YEAR inspection (other system types require
servicing once every 3 or 4 months).
What are the ongoing costs?
There is a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty on the filter and irrigation
pumps, which is extended a further year if you renew your first year
maintenance agreement.
The control unit and alarm are both covered by a 5-year manufacturer’s
warranty (excluding globe).
All fittings, pipe work and fixings carry a 15-year warranty.
The vessel (the concrete tank) and concrete internal baffles carry a 15-
year warranty.
(Note: the life expectancy of the sand filter is well in excess of 15 years.)
What warranty is offered on the treatment plant?
The wastewater has been treated and disinfected and will be disposed
of via your “land application area”. This area could be above-ground
heavy droplet sprinklers, or subsurface irrigation, or various other
methods, and will be decided between your local Council and (in most
instances) a geotechnical engineer.
Smart Sewage Solutions and its subcontractors will construct the
disposal area in accordance with the geotechnical report approved by
your council.
How will the wastewater be disposed of?
No. Odours emanating from a treatment system are caused by bacteria
that have died. Reasons for this range from lack of air (the blower has
been turned off for a number of hours) to chemical pollution. The
Epsom does not rely on a blower to provide air to the bacteria so under
normal household operating conditions there is no smell.
Will the system smell?
Absolutely. Exclusive to Smart Sewage Solutions is our “hand over”—
we take the time to arrange to meet you at your new home, introduce
you to your treatment system, explain its correct operation, provide you
with our informative Owner’s Guide and answer any queries you might
have.
Will I receive information about the system once it is installed?
Solids represent approximately 0.1% of household wastewater, which
the systems continually reprocess until it forms a layer of residual
(“sludge”). After a number of years the accumulated sludge will need to
be removed from the system. Your service technician will advise you
when de-sludging is required.
What happens to solids in the system?
Your service provider will provide all the maintenance requirements for
the system, leaving you free to enjoy your lifestyle. However, you are
required to ensure the irrigation area is free of weeds and debris at all
times. Full information on this is contained in our Owner’s Guide. Your
service technician will also assist you as much as possible .
Do I have to do any maintenance to the system?
Yes, provided the correct fall can be achieved (sometimes with the use
of riser rings), generally speaking the tank can be located where you
choose.
Can I locate the tank away from my house?
The treatment system will stop, along with all your electrical appliances.
However, because the Epsom treats the wastewater without the use of
an electric blower, no harm will occur to the system and the bacteria will
continue to process the waste. When the power is reconnected, the sys-
tem alarm should clear itself within 12 hours.
What happens in a power failure?
The Epsom is designed for silent running. There is no noise from the
system.
How much noise comes from the system?
Nothing at all; it will keep on quietly working while you’re away.
What do I do with the system when I go on holiday?
Solid objects travelling through the system can cause blockages, and
generally they do just that. Also large quantities of strong disinfectants,
anti-bacterial products, turps etc are detrimental to the health of the
bacteria living within your system.
What shouldn’t I dispose of down the toilet or drains?
No. Treatment systems can only be installed in areas where reticulated
sewerage disposal is not provided
Are installations allowed on sewered blocks?
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BENEFITS
economical powerful relia
ble
EPSOM sandbed filtration Wastewater Treatment Systems
Are you looking for a cost-effective treatment
system? Is lifestyle important to you? Then
PASSIVE aerobic process
Uses MINIMAL power
The LIFESTYLE choice
NO fuss!
NO gimmicks!
NO problems!
The EPSOM uses less than 10 minutes of
power per day. It does not use an electrical
blower—air is provided NATURALLY within the
sand bed. The EPSOM boasts a huge 7500 litre primary
tank—meaning almost TWICE the dilution of
other systems. The EPSOM has been approved for only ONE
SERVICE per year!
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Epsom Sandbed filtration systems work on the principles of primary
settling plus secondary treatment. The treatment process is then
Smart Sewage Solutions Ph: 5460 9111 P O Box 3006 Mobile: 0408 200 933 West Ipswich QLD 4305 [email protected]
The Epsom Process
Primary Settling All of the wastewater from your house flows first into the ‘septic’ zone. This is where
solids are settled out and the micro-organisms carry out the initial part of the
purification process. Once the organic impurities have been absorbed within the anaerobic culture of micro-
organisms, the water then passes to the secondary sedimentation zone.
The Percolation Process The partially purified water is then pumped over to the sandbed for intense filtration. This is achieved
through layers of coarse sand, aggregate and geomac filter fabric. When the water has completed the
percolation process, it is gravity-fed to the final chamber inside the tank.
Re-use of treated water Once the treated water reaches a certain level in the final chamber, the system’s submersible pump
will start automatically to deliver the water to the designated irrigation disposal area.
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1000mm
The excavation is to be sited on flat ground.
The excavated hole should be dug 3m² x 2.3m deep.
2300mm
2450mm
470mm
1530mm
NOT TO SCALE
2500mm
Sandbed Filtration System (SSF)
8000mm
1110mm
Controller/Alarm 330mm (adjustable)
Pre-Treatment, Clarification
and Irrigation Chambers
INLET (100mm)
INLET (100mm)
300mm Select inlet required
www.smartsewagesolutions.com.au
BENEFITS economical powerful relia
ble
EPSOM sandbed filtration Wastewater Treatment Systems
PASSIVE aerobic process
Uses MINIMAL power
$250 a year saving in electricity costs through not having to run a
blower;
$100 a year in service costs (only one service per year as opposed
to up to 4 services per year for the other systems);
$600 in pump-out costs over 4 years (due to the large 7200 litre
primary tank to provide optimal operation as opposed to
competitors’ 3600 litre primary).
The EPSOM is an extremely energy efficient system! If you look at a
comparison with any other aerated system over 4 years, an owner of
an EPSOM system would expect a savings of around $2000:
• The Epsom Epsom Epsom Epsom treatment system is a Sandbed Filtration wastewater
treatment system that also reduces nutrients & phosphates.
• It requires servicing only once per year.
• There is no mechanical blower using electricity - so the Epsom Epsom Epsom Epsom
COSTS YOU LESSCOSTS YOU LESSCOSTS YOU LESSCOSTS YOU LESS over the longer term !
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Smart Sewage Solutions Ph: 5460 9111 P O Box 3006 Mobile: 0408 200 933
The Epsom Sandbed Filtration system
1. The physical separation of solids & liquids in the waste
To summarise the benefits of the Epsom, there are 2 stages to its treatment process that are of
particular importance when you consider how important “lifestyle” is to most of us:
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It is good to know that with rising electricity pricesrising electricity pricesrising electricity pricesrising electricity prices, the Epsom only uses low 230 watt pumps to run for a few
minutes a day rather than constantly 24/7 for aerators
Also, the high number of fixtures and possibly occupants in our average homes could mean that the medium
to long term maintenance costs may be considerably higher with a "mechanical" system than with the Epsom.
The LIFESTYLE choice
Further, the bacteria will digest the solid matter in the waste and process it into “sludge" (the
average accumulation of sludge is between 50-80 litres per person per year). With a smaller
system, the result of all that accumulation is that within a few years the system will lose its dilu-
There are a couple of reasons here that the Epsom is ideal. For instance, it has a 7200 litre
primary tank (as opposed to most 10 person systems having approx 3500 litres) - this means a
higher dilution ratio of the waste from the house. The number of bathrooms and toilets in an
average home today suggests that the waste will be delivered to the treatment system in high
volumes for relatively short bursts. But due to the Epsom’s larger primary tank, the effects of
shock loading on the bacteria will be minimised.
In very simple terms, the aerobic part of the treatment process involves the same bacteria being exposed to
dissolved oxygen to break down the brown dirty water into clean safe water for the irrigation area.
In a “mechanical” system (where an electric blower is used to supply the oxygen at 80 litres per minute) your
lifestyle will be impacted because the blower is rated to a certain volume of oxygen over a 24 hr period (so as
not to over-aerate the system). With a few extra family or friends during the holidays etc it does not take a lot
for the mechanical 8-10 person system to reach its maximum capacity per hour, especially in terms of pH, the
effects of dairy products on the bacteria and the volume of oxygen needed to break down the waste efficiently.
On the other hand, the Epsom has a massive passive supply of oxygen naturally existing in the sand bed,
which is rated for up to 20 persons (ideal for larger families, holidays and for entertainers).
2. Supply air to the bacteria
tion ability, increasing the toxicity of the wastewater and killing more of the bacteria, which in turn increases
your maintenance costs. Sludge levels need to be less than one-third of the volume of the system so it will also
mean more frequent de-sludging (currently approx $400).
Contents
Page
What is an Epsom SFS system? .................................... 1
Benefits of the Epsom SFS system ............................... 2
Excavation, delivery & placement ................................ 4 Tank dimensions ................................................................................................. 4
Important notes .................................................................................................... 5
The land application area ............................................. 6 Typical Council set-back distances ...................................................................... 6
Warranties ................................................................... 9 Service life ........................................................................................................... 9
The Epsom process flow .............................................. 3
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
Epsom SFS (Sandbed Filtration System)
The Epsom SFS operates automatically to treat all of the wastewater from your household, turning it into clear,
odourless water for disposal to your land application area.
Australian owned and designed, the Epsom SFS uses the latest and most appropriate technology available. It is also
appropriate for commercial developments such as caravan parks, motels, shopping centres and schools.
An Epsom system is ideal for larger households, entertainers and frequent travellers because:
• its 5 partitions allow for better filtration; and
• its large 7,500 litre tank allows for greater retention time, hence greater efficiency (competitors provide 3,900
litres).
Unlike most other secondary treatment system currently available, the Epsom SFS does not use mechanical aera-
tors, diffusers, blowers or other costly moving parts, or artificial media material.
A well designed and carefully constructed buried Sandbed Filtration System offers secondary treatment and
“polishing” of the effluent in a completely natural way.
Further benefits of the Epsom SFS include:
• only one service per year;
• UV disinfection option available;
• high tolerance of peak loading (parties, holidays etc)
• high tolerance in periods of dormancy (holidays, intermittent use);
• extremely low maintenance (eg no mechanical blower), economical to run;
• excellent effluent quality;
• lower incidence of parts failure, call-out fees, replacement costs.
The Epsom SFS has been designed using the engineering principle of the Long Term Acceptance Rate (LTAR). This
ensures that the Epsom SFS has a long life without hydraulic surcharging.
Page 1
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
What is an Epsom SFS?
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
EFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN
Benefits of the Epsom SFS Page 2
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
� The Epsom SFS is the most cost effective system available.
� The Epsom SFS requires the least maintenance—only once a year (other system types require servicing
every 3 or 4 months).
� The Epsom SFS is a passive system (there is a minimum of mechanical equipment to wear out and need
replacement).
� The Epsom SFS has the most consistent and highest quality effluent of all systems. Its extremely stable
process can withstand wide fluctuations in both hydraulic and organic loading, without any reduction in
effluent quality.
� The Epsom SFS uses negligible electrical power consumption. The filter and effluent pumps run for ONLY
10 minutes (approx) per day.
� The Epsom SFS disinfects naturally without the addition of chemicals such as chlorine, which can be
associated with negative environmental effects.
� The Epsom SFS has the added capability to deactivate/remove viruses and Helminths which chlorination of a
secondary effluent cannot do. It is interesting to note that viruses are responsible for 70% of illnesses in man
today.
� The Epsom SFS has low visual impact.
� The Epsom SFS is individually designed to suit all specific needs.
� The Epsom SFS is a long life trouble-free system. The life expectancy of the sand filter is well in excess of
15 years.
Help protect your health and our precious environment . . .
The Epsom SFS The Superior Sandbed Filtration System
The Epsom SFS Process Flow Page 3
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
The Epsom SFS has been developed for the treatment of all household wastewater
to a standard suitable for the renovated water to be irrigated to your land application area.
It is the “engineered” alternative to the conventional septic tank system without the high maintenance costs inherent
with mechanical aeration plants
The Epsom SFS system utilises natural processes of settling and filtration in an environment whereby organisms
beneficial to the breakdown of wastes may flourish. The SFS works on the principles of primary settling plus second-
ary treatment. The treatment process is then followed by effluent disposal through the irrigation system.
Primary Treatment
The Epsom SFS system is simple but clever. All household wastewater is directed to the one house drain (just like
being connected to town sewerage) which leads to a large capacity primary treatment chamber that has a high sur-
face area to depth ratio.
In this chamber, naturally occurring bacteria start the treatment process by breaking down the settled solids through
anaerobic digestion. Fats and other light matter float to the surface and form a scum.
The liquid wastewater (“mixed liquor”), which has now had a large proportion of the suspended solids removed, flows
into a pump chamber where, by simple float switch control it is pumped onto the buried aerobic sand filter.
Secondary Treatment
A well designed and carefully constructed buried aerobic sand filter offers secondary treatment and “polishing” of the
effluent in a completely natural way.
Liquid wastewater from the primary treatment pump chamber is dose-loaded onto a bed of clean crushed rock. From
there it percolates slowly down through 6 layers of coarse sand, aggregate, geomac filter fabric, and a filter sock.
Physical, chemical and biological processes occur naturally within the Epsom SFS to
remove organic material and, most importantly, harmful bacteria, pathogens and virus-
es.
At the base of the fully lined SFS, the renovated water is collected and gravity-fed to
the final pump chamber ready for irrigation to your land application area.
Once the treated water reaches a certain level in the final chamber, the submersible
pump will automatically start and pump the water to the designated irrigation dispersal
area.
NOTE: Do not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this leaflet. Items herein are general comments only and do not convey advice per se. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of these areas.
Excavation, Delivery & Placement Page 4
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
Filling with Water
� After backfilling, the tank must be filled with 5300 litres, ensuring that the tank’s separate compartments are raised equally at
no more than 600mm increments.
� If the tank is not filled with water, it could hydraulically lift out of the ground during wet conditions.
� If our quotation does not include the excavation service, then it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the tank is
filled with water after backfilling. We will not accept any responsibility if this action is not carried out.
� Water in the system is also required in order for the treatment system to be commissioned for use.
� Potable water must be used.
Tank Dimensions Control box/alarm height 330mm Overall height 2300mm Outside diameter 245mm Bottom of 1st inlet (from base) 1530mm Bottom of 2nd inlet (from base) 1830mm
Except for the persons responsible for lifting and positioning of the tank in the excavated site, there
must not be any person within 20m of the installation site during lifting and positioning.
Excavation and Backfilling
Our quotations include this service, unless you have otherwise requested to provide the excavation
yourself. In either circumstance, the following directions and recommendations are to be followed:
� Site preparation drawings show excavation walls to be perpendicular. However, depending on soil conditions, the excavator
may need to angle or retain the side walls such that they don’t cave in during installation.
� Sand or excavated material/spoil with maximum particle size of 50mm is used.
� The base of the septic tank is to be placed on a 100mm levelled layer of sand or 5ml aggregate.
� Ensure that sand or excavated material does not fall on the lid of the tank, as this will fall into the system through the
manholes and clog the system and irrigation pump.
� Following placement, the loose backfill material must be kept at least 80mm below the surface of the tank lid.
1000mm minimum
The excavation is to be sited on flat ground.
The excavated hole should be dug 3m² x 2.3m deep.
2300mm
2450mm
470mm
1530mm
NOT TO SCALE
2500mm
Sandbed Filtration System (SSF)
8000mm
1110mm
Controller/Alarm 330mm (adjustable)
Pre-Treatment, Clarification
and Irrigation Chambers (7000 litre)
INLET (100mm)
INLET (100mm)
300mm Select inlet required and seal the other
NOTE: Do not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this leaflet. Items herein are general comments only and do not convey advice per se. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before acting in any of these areas.
Page 5
SSSSmart SSSSewage SSSSolutions Pty Ltd
Delivery & Placement
In most areas the tank will be delivered by a truck
equipped with a crane located at the rear of the vehicle.
Such a vehicle will back up to the tank site, then lift and
slew the tank into position behind the vehicle before
placing the tank into the prepared excavation (yours or
ours). The maximum reach from the rear of the vehicle is
3m to the centre of the tank.
Make sure the truck has access to your site and observe
the following requirements:
� 4.8m needed to pass under trees and power lines
� 3.0m needed between gateposts
� Site conditions should be dry and stable under foot
3.0m
Not Possible
Not Possible
Delivery Possible
Important Notes
� Tanks will not be lifted over houses, sheds or other property of value, nor will they be lifted under low power
lines.
� Tank sites that are cut out of sloping hills will require an adequate flat area for the truck to unload. Unloading on
awkward and dangerous sites will be at the driver’s discretion.
� Safe and clear access is the total responsibility of the customer.
To enable the tank to be unloaded, a distance of 6m in
diameter around the truck will be required. This will also
allow enough distance for the crane’s outriggers (legs).
This diagram also applies for right-hand side unloading.
Positioning
Tank must be level in both inflow/outflow direction and 90deg to the inflow/outflow direction (<1deg deviation).
The Land Application Area Page 6
Most councils require a Geotechnical Engineer Report (Site & Soil Evaluation) to be carried out
prior to lodging an application to install a wastewater treatment system.
Smart Sewage Solutions Pty Ltd and its subcontractors construct the irrigation system in accordance with the ge-
otechnical report approved by your local council. Upon completion, the geotechnical engineer and local council con-
firm that the irrigation system has been constructed as per the approved report. The irrigation area is then tested up-
on commissioning the system for use.
The treated water is dispersed through irrigation lines, using the method directed by the geotechnical report. Methods
of dispersal vary between local councils, ranging from above-ground heavy droplet sprinklers to pressure-
compensating drippers and shallow subsurface irrigation.
In these ways nutrients are returned to nature via lawns and gardens. This also ensures that the area designated as
your irrigation area receives the benefit of regular watering, is sustainable and environmentally balanced, and the
health and welfare of the occupants and the public at large is protected (as per local authority approval).
Feature Set-Back Distance
Water edge of permanent watercourse, farm dams and drainage channel ............................ 30 metres
Bore or well used for domestic water supply ......................................................................... 30 metres
Dwelling and recreation areas .............................................................................................. 15 metres
Property boundaries, paths and walkways............................................................................ 4 metres (low side)