Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
  • Southeast Tourism
Wastewater Treatment System – Sweetwater Creek Visitor Center


A) COMPOSTING TOILETS
B) WATERLESS URINALS
C) COMPOSTING BIN
D) COMPOSTING WASTE
E) EXCESS LIQUID WASTE (“COMPOST TEA”)
F) JANITOR’S SINK GREYWATER
G) LAVATORY GREYWATER
H) SHOWER GREYWATER
I) DRIKING FOUNTAIN GREYWATER
J) 1000 GAL. SEPTIC TANK
K) 1000 GAL. DOSING TANK
L) MULTI-STAGE PUMP
M) FLOAT SWITCH
N) CHECK VALVE
O) GATE VALVE
P) HYDRAULIC UNIT / FILTER MODULE
Q) RETURN LINE TO SEPTIC TANK
R) SUPPLY MANIFOLD W/ AIR RELEASE VALVE
S) DRIP LINE IRRIGATION SYSTEM
T) RETURN MANIFOLD W/ AIR RELEASE VALVE


Biological Waste Treatment Strategy
The approach to waste treatment for this project includes the dual goals of eliminating the use of municipally provided potable water for sewage conveyance and treating 100% of the waste on-site in an ecologically healthy manner, without the use of chemicals. Except for a single 3 oz. per flush foam flush toilet using harvested rainwater, all toilets and urinals are waterless. The foam flush toilet and the waterless toilets / urinals connect to four composting bins below. Compost, no longer being waste, can be utilized to enrich the soil / plants in the vicinity of the building. Greywater generated from lavatories, water fountains, a mop sink, and a shower is mixed with any excess effluent "compost tea" liquid that may occur from the composting bins. Diluting the "compost tea" with much larger amounts of greywater will allow more frequent irrigation than would be possible with undiluted "tea". Particles that may be suspended in the greywater are filtered out when the mixture passes through a 1,000-gallon septic tank, followed by a 1,000-gallon dosing tank, before entering a drip irrigation system. The system uses no chemicals or biocides. Traditional septic systems, after separating solid waste from effluent, distribute nutrient rich effluent into the soil at a level that is typically below the roots of plant material that may be growing above the drain lines. Such a system allows the high nutrient concentrations from the drain lines to potentially leach downward and contaminate the groundwater/aquifer below. In contrast, our system of drip irrigation lines distributes the mixture of greywater and "tea" into a demonstration garden at a depth between 6" to 10" below the surface, allowing the plant roots to absorb and utilize the nutrients. The demonstration garden is the final component of a system that employs innovative collection and use of water and redefines the concept of “waste.”


Sweetwater Creek Visitor Center
Rainwater Harvesting Storage & Treatment System – Sweetwater Creek Visitor Center


Back to Engineering and Construction

print version
  ZIP SEARCH: