RUCK® CFT systems are the most advanced type of RUCK® systems and offer the highest treatment available. RUCK® CFT provide tertiary treatment for the most economical construction compared to other technologies. RUCK® CFT systems require Piloting approval as an alternative innovative septic system by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). RUCK® CFT systems are different than traditional RUCK® systems because RUCK® CFT systems require energy, a part-time operator and the addition of a carbon source. A schematic of a typical RUCK® CFT is shown above.
Traditional RUCK® Systems require that the wastewater flows be separated into black water and gray water. The black water flow, after the black water septic tank, passes through a RUCK® filter. The effluent from the RUCK® filter is then piped into the gray water septic tank. The gray water septic tank is the site of denitrification. Early designs of RUCK® systems for commercial use based on the same treatment scheme as Traditional RUCK® systems were a failure because of a lack of available carbon in the wastewater. Rein Laak Ph.D. invented commercial RUCK® or RUCK® CFT systems and that invention was awarded a patent, (Patent No. 5,588,777). If carbon was lacking, then a carbon source could be added. In RUCK® CFT systems, the carbon source is manufactured gray water inserted in the flow at an appropriate location in the wastewater treatment stream. In these designs, all wastewater is piped into a RUCK® filter. Effluent from the RUCK® filter is piped into a mixing chamber where soapy water is added. Denitrification takes place in the mixing chamber. In this design, denitrification is very efficient; removal rates can exceed 90%. The treated effluent is discharged into a soil absorption system. The soil absorption system for RUCK® CFT systems proposed under the Piloting provisions of Title 5 need not be the required size normally required by code. Soil Absorption systems may be approximately half that required for a traditional subsurface septic system.
This design was called the Commercial RUCK® but the name implies that the design cannot be used in a residential setting. The name in Massachusetts will be RUCK® CFT for these systems for all types of flows including residential uses.
In California, two Commercial RUCK® systems were built. The most tested Commercial RUCK® system in California was installed at the Caltrans Truckee Highway Truck Inspection Station near Lake Tahoe in the mountainous section of California. That installation had a design flow of approximately 500 gallons per day. The final discharge had to have a concentration of Total Nitrogen to be below 9 milligrams per liter (mg/l) in the final effluent. The final configuration of the treatment facility was actually two Commercial RUCK® systems in series. The Total Nitrogen in the influent was a mean of about 205 mg/l. This was four times as great as the expected concentration. The peak total nitrogen concentration in the influent flow was over 550 mg/l. The very high total nitrogen concentration is related to the high percentage of flow from urine. The first stage of the Truckee Commercial RUCK® had a Total Nitrogen removal efficiency of 94%. Total Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) removal was 75%. Total phosphorous removal approached 94%.
Three RUCK® CFT systems have been approved in Massachusetts as individual piloting applications. One system, located in Lunenburg, MA, was constructed in November, 1998 and is being maintained and monitored by an affiliated firm. There were some startup problems that were fully resolved in July, 1999. After resolving these problems the system has been discharging less than 10 mg/l of total nitrogen. Click here to see graph of Test Results. The other two systems have not yet been constructed.
The designs are property of Innovative RUCK® Systems. Have your local engineer contact Innovative RUCK® Systems. Innovative RUCK® Systems will design the RUCK® CFT system, prepare plans, specifications, a monitoring program and a maintenance program. Innovative RUCK® Systems will present the plans before your local Board of Health.