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Aerobic Treatment Unit (ATU)
Description:
An ATU is a system generally made up of a buried tank and an air-blower.
Sewage first passes through a trash trap (page 42) and then enters the ATU tank
where it is injected with a large volume of air and often agitated or mixed.
S
ome similar units are sequencing batch reactors (SBR's) and rotating biological
contactors (
RBC's). Function and maintenance of these units is similar to ATUs.
See the manufacturers' guidance documents for your particular system for more
information on system components.
Function:
T
he function of the ATU is to clean the wastewater to a high level before passing
it on to the drain
M
icrobes consume most pollution out of the water before it passes on to the
drainfield for final treatment and dispersal.
Maintenance:
• ATUs must be checked a minimum of yearly by a certified O&M
pumped when necessary. Depending on the unit, this could be qua
every 6 months, annually, etc. (See manufacturer's guidance.)
• When pumping, make sure to hire a qualified person familiar with your type of
ATU. Pumping these units incorrectly can easily damage them.
• Visually inspect the tank when pumping for damage, leaks, etc.
• See Sections 1 & 2 for more information on protecting your tanks.
IN
TRASH
TRAP
WITH BUILT-IN TRASH TRAP
field. The ATU creates an oxygen-rich treatment environment.
EXAMPLES OF ATU's
ATU
AIR BLOWER
OUT
IN
WITHOUT BUILT-IN TRASH TRAP
- 45 -
provider and
rterly,
OUT
ATU
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