Methods, apparatus and systems for polishing wastewater utilizing natural media filtration

A wastewater treatment system comprising a single bed for polishing a wastewater stream comprising a plurality of contaminants, the treatment system comprising:

• a vessel comprising a bed of aggregate and bauxite residue;
• a wastewater inlet of the vessel in fluid communication with at least one of the aggregate and the bauxite residue;
• and
• a wastewater outlet of the vessel in fluid communication with at least one of the aggregate and the bauxite residue.

A method for producing a wastewater polishing bed adapted to polish wastewater comprising a plurality of contaminants, the method comprising:

• determining a wastewater stream profile for a wastewater stream that comprises a plurality of contaminants, the wastewater stream profile comprising a wastewater contaminant profile and at least one of a wastewater flow profile and a wastewater effluent goal;
• selecting a plurality of natural media filtration agents for use in the wastewater polishing bed, wherein the selecting step is based at least in part on the wastewater contaminant profile, wherein a first one of the plurality of natural media filtration agents is bauxite residue and wherein a second one of the plurality of natural media filtration agents is one of compost, granular activated carbon, iron filings, bone char and aggregate;
• selecting a single bed configuration based in part on the first and second natural media filtration agents, and further based at in part on at least one of the wastewater flow profile and the wastewater effluent goal;
• and
• producing a single treatment bed comprising the plurality of natural media filtration agents based at least in part on the single bed configuration.