rock-reed wastewater treatment cell construction

1 Rock%Reed Wastewater Treatment Cell Project Construction: Document created by Erik Hauenstein, 8/14/2015 Summary: Starting in early June and ending in late July of 2015 a rockBreed wastewater treatment cell designed and partially constructed by Iracambi volunteers from Ball State University had finished being constructed by other Iracambistas including Erik Hauenstein, Jurre Locht, Toni, Leandro Santana, and many more volunteers and locals involved with Iracambi. The design of the system may be seen on the report written by the Ball State University students and their professor. Construction involved preparing a large ditch to be the correct length of about 9.9 m, width of about 3.6 m, depth starting at 66cm and ending at 45 cm (from left to right on diagram below), and it was leveled, placing about 5 cm of sand on the dirt to level the ground more, laying down a plastic impermeable layer, inserting the wastewater inlet “T” pipe, layering on gravel of various sizes, and inserting the purified water outlet “Y” pipe. See below for stepBbyBstep photos. Reeds will be planted the top layer of the cell in the future. How it works: The concept of a rockBreed wastewater treatment cell is simple. Wastewater (including blackwater) is sent from Centro at Iracambi to a septic tank via piping. As the tank fills up and larger solids settle as liquids flow out from the top of the tank into a pipe that leads the wastewater into the treatment cell. A “T” shaped diffuser allows the water to percolate into the system on the 66 cm deep end where it pools up. As the water pools it leaves behind waste particles on the larger gravel. Once it pools to 20 cm then it flows over a hump toward the shallow 45 cm deep end of the cell, being cleaned by both large and small pieces of gravel as it flows. Reeds planted on top of the gravel grow roots down into the gravel and absorb the nutrients the water leaves behind as it filters. Once the water reaches the other end of the cell it enters into a “Y” shaped collector pipe where it exits the treatment cell. The purified water will be diverted to a nearby swamp where it can slowly be absorbed into the groundwater. Treatment Cell Diagram (Aerial View): Septic Tank (located near top of hill) Uphill Direction Treatment Cell Ditch (leveled) Wastewater Inlet “T” Pipe Purified Water Outlet “Y” Pipe Wastewater Flow out of Septic Tank

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Page 1: Rock-Reed Wastewater Treatment Cell Construction

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Rock%Reed(Wastewater(Treatment(Cell(Project(Construction:(Document!created!by!Erik!Hauenstein,!8/14/2015!!Summary:! Starting! in! early! June! and! ending! in! late! July! of! 2015! a! rockBreed!wastewater! treatment! cell! designed! and! partially! constructed! by! Iracambi!volunteers! from! Ball! State! University! had! finished! being! constructed! by! other!Iracambistas! including! Erik! Hauenstein,! Jurre! Locht,! Toni,! Leandro! Santana,! and!many!more!volunteers!and!locals!involved!with!Iracambi.!

The! design! of! the! system! may! be! seen! on! the! report! written! by! the! Ball! State!University! students! and! their! professor.! Construction! involved! preparing! a! large!ditch!to!be!the!correct!length!of!about!9.9!m,!width!of!about!3.6!m,!depth!starting!at!66cm!and!ending!at!45!cm!(from!left!to!right!on!diagram!below),!and!it!was!leveled,!placing! about! 5! cm! of! sand! on! the! dirt! to! level! the! ground!more,! laying! down! a!plastic! impermeable! layer,! inserting! the! wastewater! inlet! “T”! pipe,! layering! on!gravel!of!various!sizes,!and! inserting! the!purified!water!outlet! “Y”!pipe.!See!below!for!stepBbyBstep!photos.!Reeds!will!be!planted!the!top!layer!of!the!cell!in!the!future.!

How! it! works:! The! concept! of! a! rockBreed! wastewater! treatment! cell! is! simple.!Wastewater!(including!blackwater)!is!sent!from!Centro!at!Iracambi!to!a!septic!tank!via!piping.!As!the!tank!fills!up!and!larger!solids!settle!as!liquids!flow!out!from!the!top!of! the! tank! into! a! pipe! that! leads! the! wastewater! into! the! treatment! cell.! A! “T”!shaped!diffuser!allows!the!water!to!percolate!into!the!system!on!the!66!cm!deep!end!where!it!pools!up.!As!the!water!pools!it!leaves!behind!waste!particles!on!the!larger!gravel.!Once!it!pools!to!20!cm!then!it!flows!over!a!hump!toward!the!shallow!45!cm!deep! end! of! the! cell,! being! cleaned! by! both! large! and! small! pieces! of! gravel! as! it!flows.! Reeds! planted! on! top! of! the! gravel! grow! roots! down! into! the! gravel! and!absorb!the!nutrients!the!water!leaves!behind!as!it!filters.!Once!the!water!reaches!the!other! end! of! the! cell! it! enters! into! a! “Y”! shaped! collector! pipe!where! it! exits! the!treatment!cell.!The!purified!water!will!be!diverted!to!a!nearby!swamp!where!it!can!slowly!be!absorbed!into!the!groundwater.!

Treatment!Cell!Diagram!(Aerial!View):!

Septic!Tank!(located!near!top!of!hill)!

Uphill!Direction!

Treatment!Cell!Ditch!(leveled)!

Wastewater!Inlet!“T”!Pipe! Purified!Water!Outlet!“Y”!Pipe!

Wastewater!Flow!out!of!Septic!Tank!