RBC PACKAGE PLANT

ATU's

Complete natural treatment, similar to a trickling filter, in one certified concrete vault.

Small scale activated sludge (aerator) pre-treatment device, employing forced air

No dependency on soils, other than the dispersal of reclaimed water.

Totally dependant on soils for treatment and filtration.

Provides consistent / complete treatment – 24 / 7, to < 10 mg/l CBOD5 ; < 10 mg/l TSS ; <10 TN

Inconsistent pre-treatment due to surges and spikes that cause upset conditions

Free oxygen is provided for microbe digestion, as in a trickling filter.

Forced air with sub-surface small scale aeration. The air pump, air lines, & timer are a major weak link.

On-board anaerobic (septic) zone. No septic tank pre-treatment needed. (Saves space, cost, and 2nd pumping).

A full-1200 gal. septic tank (2 – compartments) is a must for pre-treatment & some primary clarification.

On-board grease trap / scum baffle containing all floatable material until it settles to the bottom / decomposes.

Influent septage is mixed in a slurry of high TSS, BOD, and FOG

No bio-mat in the drain field, eliminating – smearing, clogging caused drainfield failures.

Surges of high BOD and suspended solids cause a clogging bio-mat

Natural treatment – separating and settling. By design, only the clarified liquid can enter the RBC treatment zones. This eliminates such things as -fat, oil greas, paint, plastics, disposable tampons, and / or anything you can flush down the toilet.

Activated sludge is a high TSS mixed liquid solution. (think diarrhea) Without adequate final clarification, there is a high probability of plugging up the final filter (if there is one), and smearing / clogging the soil based treatment / dispersal component.

Never an odor problem! No caustic, or volatile gases

Reportedly, this is a major concern with the activated sludge ATU’s (aerators)

Garbage disposal – compatible, provided you use common sense.

Garbage disposals will not work on ATU’s.

Consumer / neighbor compatible. No – offensive alarm sounds. No – unsightly components (mounds). No noise. No odor.

In some cases, the noise of the air pump kicking in, results in a turn-off. A loud wailing alarm is not welcome.

Summer cabin / off season compatible. During periods of vacancy or power outages the RBC package plant can be left operating, or turned off. There is nothing needed for re-startup.

Most activated sludge ATU’s will require a pump-out after more than 2 – 3 days without power.

Low flow or no-flow is not a problem. A unique re-circulation loop provides an adequate supply of nutrients to keep the host bacteria working.

Reportedly, some ATU’s – shut down during periods of no, or low flow. This can result in foaming out on the ground, as well as sloughing / and or clogging any filter.

Top quality pre-cast concrete tank. Certified water-tight monolithic tank with no sections to laminate or assemble on-site. Will not rupture, crack, or “float”. All stainless fasteners and cast in risers, inspection ports, and rubber inlet / outlet boots. No possible I&I

As with all components used in the ATU’s, quality has been sacrificed in order to maintain their sales advantage as the cheapest on the market. Some have to be assembled on site, with little concern on quality control.

Easy access for monitoring / pump-out. 2 – 24” access risers, and 2- 8 ” monitoring ports –to grade, provide clear access and visibility.

Most ATU’s do not have good visibility and access, for pump-outs and monitoring.

The operating ability / capacity of the Model 505-KR is an actual 600 GPD This is not a “design” flow rating. It is the flow that can be maintained – day In and day out. The only limiting design factor would be the capacity / ability of the drainfield to handle 600 gal per day. Conversely, the plant can idle thru days of low flow. The 600 GPD is approx. 75% of the plants actual ability.

Most ATU’s are designed to operate in the 50% range (of claimed ability). Low flows tend to short circuit the treatment process, while overloads spell disaster.

A very comprehensive support base in each county. Sales of individual units will be handled by an independent distributor, with full support from Five Star for training, technical assistance, and stock of parts. A certain amount from each sale is retained for support of that unit in the future.

Since the ATU’s biggest marketing advantage is the fact that they are stripped down to be the cheapest, the representative’s margin of profit is directly connected to sales. With this sell it, and leave it scheme, there really isn’t much incentive to stand behind the sale.

Minimum “White Glove” O&M. Very rugged and durable. No air pumps to replace. No control panels to maintain / adjust. No float controls to fail. No timers to adjust / go to fault. No adjustments, Nothing to repair.

Very high dependency on an over-burden of maintenance, repairs, and replacements at the homeowner’s expense. Questionable treatment ability, even with all the expensive on-going O&M.

No homeowner self-help needed, other than the proper “care and feeding” of the system. There is a 24-hour toll-free number for immediate service in the highly unlikely event of a problem.

Employs lesser quality components, in order to be the cheapest on the market. (one branded air pump is susceptible to destruction by ants)

Dispersal / drainfield compatibility is one of the RDC package plant’s strongest attributes. Pressure distribution of clean water eliminates the possibility of D.F. problems related to nutrient / organic flow. A properly designed system with adequate hydraulic capacity will provide a lifetime onsite sewer system.

Small scale activated sludge ATU’s actually generate high turbidity (TSS), and BOD in a mixed slurry during frequent periods of “upset” conditions. In addition, when these units are given an un-qualified D.F. reduction there is a high probability of serious drainfield problems ($).

Drip line dispersal is a perfect match for the RDC package plant. which is the one system that disperses fully treated clean water into the soil, with no organic / nutrients to plug the emitters.

Conversely, the activated sludge technology is just that. High solids & BOD are a major concern for drip dispersal. (plugged emitters / filters, etc.)