Sanitary waste treatment plant

A sanitary waste treatment plant comprising a delivery system, a biological treatment system and a water recovery system,

• said delivery system including, a flush-type toilet with a demand actuator and a bowl in which sanitary waste can be deposited, flush water supply means for supplying flush water under pressure to said bowl upon activation of said demand actuator, and delivery means for delivering the flush water and sanitary waste to said biological treatment system in response to activation of said demand actuator,
• said biological treatment system including apparatus for reducing biologically the sanitary waste received from the delivery system and discharging an effluent to said water recovery system, said apparatus including an upright anaerobic digestion chamber for receiving said sanitary waste from the delivery system and partially decomposing the organic matter therein, an upright aerobic digestion chamber disposed around said anaerobic chamber and fluidly communicating therewith, said aerobic digestion chamber having air diffuser means therein adjacent to the bottom thereof for aerobically decomposing the organic matter therein, an upright sedimentation chamber disposed outwardly of said aerobic digestion chamber and at least partly therearound, said sedimentation chamber fluidly communicating with said aerobic digestion chamber, said sedimentation chamber receiving effluent from said aerobic digestion chamber for settling out a portion of the organic matter therein for return to said aerobic digestion chamber and having therein decanting means for removing a relatively calm effluent therefrom, and recirculation means associated with said decanting means for receiving relatively clear effluent for discharge to said water recovery system.
• said water recovery system including ultrafiltration means for separation of said effluent into a water permeate and an effluent concentrate, said ultrafiltration means including a semipermeable tubular membrane into one end of which said effluent is introduced axially under a first pressure and from the other end of which said effluent concentrate is recirculated in said water recovery system for further filtration and a permeate collector tube that surrounds said tubular membrane for collecting at a lower second pressure permeate that passes radially through the membrane, recirculation means including a pump means for returning a portion of said effluent concentrate from said ultrafiltration means to said aerobic digestion chamber for further reduction by biological treatment and for returning the remainder of said effluent concentrate to said ultrafiltration means for further separation into water permeate and effluent concentrate, water storage means, a secondary filtration means for polishing said water permeate, said secondary filtration means being in communication with said ultrafiltration means so that said permeate can be discharged at said second pressure from said ultrafiltration means to said secondary filtration means to be polished and discharged as clear water to said water storage means, an ultraviolet purifier for purifying the clear water from said second filtration means as it is discharged into said water storage means, said water storage means being in communication with said flush water supply means for return thereto of said water permeate.

A sanitary waste treatment plant comprising a delivery system, a biological treatment system, and a water recovery system, said delivery system including a flush-type toilet with a demand actuator and a bowl in which sanitary waste can be deposited, flush water supply means for transferring water from the water recovery system to the delivery system and for supplying the water as flush water to said bowl upon activation of said demand actuator, and delivery means for delivering the flush water and sanitary waste to said biological treatment system, said biological treatment system including apparatus for reducing biologically the sanitary waste received from the delivery system and discharging an effluent to said water recovery system, said biological treatment system having a low-level sensing means for sensing the level of the contents therein, and an inlet valve means in communication with a source of water and adapted to open in response to a signal from said low-level sensing means when the latter indicates that the contents are below a preselected level, said water recovery system including ultrafiltration means for separation of said effluent into a water permeate and an effluent concentrate, said ultrafiltration means having a semipermeable membrane against one side of which said effluent is passed at a first pressure and from which side said effluent concentrate is discharged, and a permeate collector member on the other side of said membrane for collecting at a lower second pressure permeate that passes through the membrane, recirculation means including pump means in communication with said biological treatment system for receiving said effluent and in communication with said ultrafiltration means for returning a portion of said effluent concentrate to said biological treatment system for further reduction by biological treatment and for returning the remainder of said effluent concentrate at first pressure to said ultrafiltration means for further separation into water permeate and effluent concentrate, said water recovery system including a flush water storage means in communication with said ultrafiltration means for receiving water permeate discharged from said ultrafiltration means at said second pressure, said water storage means having a level sensing means therein and said pump means being operable for pumping effluent from said biological treatment system through said ultrafiltration means at said first pressure in response to a signal from said level sensing means indicating that the water level is below a preselected level, said biological treatment system including high-level sensing means for sensing the level therein, said high-level sensing means being operably associated with said pump means for starting said pump means in the event said high-level sensing means is actuated by a high-level condition therein, said water storage means being in communication with said flush water supply means for return thereto of said water permeate.

A water-recycling sanitary waste treatment plant comprising a delivery system, a biological treatment system and a water recovery system;

• said delivery system including a flush-type toilet with a demand actuator and a bowl in which sanitary waste can be deposited, flush water supply means for transferring clear water from the water recovery system to the delivery system and for supplying the clear water as flush water under pressure to said bowl upon activation of said demand actuator, and delivery means for delivering the flush water and sanitary waste to said biological treatment system in response to activation of said demand actuator;
• said biological treatment system including apparatus for reducing biologically the sanitary waste received from the delivery system and discharging an effluent to said water recovery system;
• and,
• said water recovery system including ultrafiltration means for separation of said effluent into a water permeate and an effluent concentrate, said ultrafiltration means having a semipermeable membrane against one side of which said effluent is passed at a first pressure and from which side said effluent concentrate is discharged, and a permeate collector member on the other side of said membrane for collecting at a lower second pressure permeate that passes through the membrane, recirculation means including pump means in communication with said biological treatment system for receiving said effluent and in communication with said ultrafiltration means for returning a portion of said effluent concentrate to said biological treatment system and for returning the remainder of said effluent concentrate at said first pressure to said ultrafiltration means for further separation into water permeate and effluent concentrate, water storage means, a secondary filtration means for receiving and polishing said water permeate, said secondary filtration means being in communication with said ultrafiltration means and said water storage means so that said permeate can be discharged at said second pressure from said ultrafiltration means to said secondary filtration means to be polished and discharged to said water storage means as clear water, and said water storage means being in communication with said delivery system for transfer thereto of the clear water by said flush water supply means.