Submerged fixed-film biological waste treatment method and system

Abstract

Apparatus and method for controlling the positioning of substrates for supporting bacteria in a waste treatment container use an aerator manifold which supplies bubbles of gas to the container from adjacent the bottom of the container. A hollow open mesh tube forms the substrate and is extended under the manifold to define a leg extending upwardly from each side of the manifold. A buoyant array piece is secured to each such end and urges the tube upwardly toward the upper surface of the waste. The bubbles establish a rolling upward flow of the waste in the container between the legs of the tube, which urges the buoyant array pieces apart both during the treatment operation and during draining of the container. Such urging during draining urges the buoyant array pieces away from the manifold, which pieces carry the ends of the tube away from the manifold as they become located lower in the basin. Such urging avoids tangling of the tubes with the manifold and facilitates more efficient cleaning of the manifold. Units of the array pieces are formed by clipping the array pieces together in various configurations, which additionally assists in keeping the array pieces and tubes away from the manifold.