A small and cost effective
sewage treatment system intended for unattended use in individual homes, small industries or businesses in locations where a central
sewage treatment
plant is not available. The
sewage treatment system comprises a conventional
septic tank which drains into a smaller aerated
holding tank, a pump to transfer
effluent from the
holding tank into a disinfecting chamber, a
regenerative heat exchanger used to raise the temperature of the
effluent while being aerated in the
holding tank, means for pumping the
effluent at a controlled rate through a
microwave field, and a conventional drain field used to release the disinfected water into the surrounding soil. Operation of this
system is fully regulated by a micro-controller, thereby eliminating the need for human intervention during normal use. This invention also incorporates electronic means for detecting various fault conditions which may impede effective disinfection, means for diagnosing what part of the
system is at fault, means for reporting the fault and diagnose to a central municipal location via a telephone or
transponder system, an emergency battery
backup system, and means for reverting system operation to that of a conventional
septic tank and drain field system is case of a total power failure (both A / C and DIC) or water
pump failure. Conventional household
alternating current or a battery recharged via a wind generator or solar cells may power the
sewage treatment system.