Recirculating wastewater evapotranspiration and disinfection system

A Recirculating wastewater evapotranspiration and disinfection system is disclosed in which wastewater is collected, stored in a water-tight recycle tank, aerated and circulated through an unsaturated and optionally heated planter/filter bed containing soil microorganisms and plants (a phytosphere) in which aerated wastewater is circulated and recirculated through the entire system until all of the wastewater and it's constituents are utilized by either evaporation, transpiration, gasification and the production of living plants and their by-products (phytomass) said system comprising:

• first means (1) for receiving and containing wastewater containing solids, liquid, nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium), carbonaceous compounds, dissolved gasses and other constituents in a water-tight recycle tank, and
• second means (2) The second means is a system of controls, aeration device and liquid conveyance for pumping or draining the liquid effluent from the first means so as to control the rate and timing of draining or pumping and the aeration (to increase the dissolved oxygen content) of said effluent from the first means to the third means;
• and
• third means (3) for distributing said pretreated and aerated effluent with a pressurized or gravity irrigation system to the rhizosphere (root zone) of a planter bed and
• fourth means (4) for receiving aerated effluent from the third means at the rhizosphere of a planter bed comprising an unsaturated rhizoplane and phytosphere of plants that functions as an integrated, interdependent ecological system treating, evaporating and transpiring said pretreated liquid with aerobic and facultative microorganisms to form an effluent suitable for evaporation and utilization and uptake and transpiration by plants;
• fifth means (5) for collecting said liquid that has not been evaporated or transpired in said fourth means and returning it to said first means for recycle;
• and
• sixth means (6) for heating the said fourth means, and
• seventh means (7) for supplying make-up water to said third means should there be insufficient wastewater in the first means so as to insure the survival of the microorganisms and plants until additional effluent is presented to the first means, and
• eighth means (8) for the recovery of latent and sensible heat and water from either the vapors produced by the evaporation and transpiration, or the influent and/or recirculated effluent, and
• ninth means (9) for the disinfection system for the purpose of immobilizing or destroying living and pathogenic organisms in the liquid of the fifth means.