Advanced Treatment Systems
Advanced Treatment means any process of wastewater treatment that removes a greater amount of contaminants than is accomplished through primary treatment.
- Advanced Treatment may include physical or chemical processes.
- Often referred to as: Advanced Treatment Systems (ATS) or Advanced/Aerobic Treatment Units (ATU’s).
- ATU’s utilize aeration and manipulation of bacteria in order to biologically treat waste water to higher standards than a conventional primary treatment system.
Secondary Treatment means a reduction of the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations to 30 mg/l and 30 mg/l respectively.
Tertiary Treatment means additional treatment beyond secondary treatment standards, specifically, the reduction in the total nitrogen concentration to levels calculated with the simplified standard loading equation: Total Nitrogen concentration (in mg/l) = [lot size (in acres) / design flow (in gpd)] x 30,000.
Advanced Treatment Systems can be used to overcome site limitations that would otherwise prohibit installation of a conventional septic system. Because ATU’s are more complex, they require a maintenance contract for the life of the system and may also require a sampling contract to verify proper functionality.
Typical applications of Advanced Treatment include:
- Small Lots
- > 500 gpd/acre
- Shallow Ground Water
- High Strength Waste
- Reduction in Setbacks
- Poor or limited Soils
Section 20 .7.3.605 NMAC provides additional information about the Minimum Required Treatment Levels for Site Conditions.
NMED maintains a list of Approved Advanced Treatment Systems.
| Conventional Treatment | Advanced Treatment | |
| Primary Treatment | Secondary Treatment | Tertiary Treatment |
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| Treatment Standards | ||
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TN (mg/L) = [lot size (in acres) / design flow (in gpd)] x 30,000 |
Typical Parameters for Measuring Wastewater Strength
BOD = Biochemical Oxygen Demand means the rate at which organisms use the oxygen in water or wastewater while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions.
TSS = Total Suspended Solids means the measurable component of solid matter suspended in water or wastewater.
TN = Total Nitrogen means the combined organic nitrogen, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate contained in the wastewater or effluent.
FOG = Fats, Oils and Grease
