Two-stage waste water treatment system for single family residences and the like

Claim 1

A self-contained wastewater treatment system, comprising: a. sealed vessel means having a bottom, side walls, a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the side walls and bottom, and a lid defining a hollow interior for containing wastewater underground and wherein flow during use proceeds generally longitudinally in the vessel; b. a vessel influent line positioned at the upper portion of the vessel means for transmitting a wastewater stream to the vessel maens; c. an effluent line for discharging fluid from the vessel means positioned at the top portion of the vessel means and generally opposite the vessel means influent which draws effluent water from below the surface so that floating matter is not discharge via the effluent line the effluent defining an operating water surface elevation at the upper portion of the vessel means and comprising a pair of sequentially connected angular turns of pipe defining an outlet flow bore that substantially change the direction of flow being discharged from the vessel means at least twice, defining an outlet flow bore including one angular turn of pipe for changing the direction of flow from the longitudinal flow direction in the vessel to a second flow direction generally transverse to the longitudinal flow direction and within the effluent pipe and a second angular turn of pipe for changing the direction of the flow of fluid from the second generally transverse direction to a third direction generally at right angles to the second transverse direction; d. a baffle wall positioned within the interior and generally between the influent line and effluent line extending transversely to the left and right side walls, the baffle extending upwardly to the lid and above the operating water surface elevation and downwardly approaching but not sealing against the bottom so that fluid can flow under the baffle wall defining a baffle under flow zone, the baffle wall dividing the vessel into two chambers including an upsteam aeration chamber and a downstream clarifier chamber; e. the side walls including a downstream end wall transverse to the general direction of flow between the influent line and effluent line, a lower portion of the downstream end wall having an incline that intersects the bottom at a position adjacent the lower edge of the baffle so that settleable solids which hit the incline can slide downwardly to the baffle underflow zone; and f. means for producing aeration within the aeration chamber, the aeration means being positioned to produce a generally circular fluid flow path within the aeration chamber that has a flow path component adjacent the lower end of the baffle with a flow direction generally away from the clarifier chamber.