Glossary

Technical terms, briefly explained.

The key terms of biological wastewater treatment, in one or two sentences. Where a detailed article exists, it is linked.

Septic tank: The usual soakaway pit in South America, called Fosa Séptica in Chile: a simple chamber where wastewater receives only mechanical treatment and then seeps into the ground. No complete biological treatment. More information
SSB® process: AQUATO's own process (sequential stabilised activated sludge process): a single-stage biological activated sludge plant with integrated sludge stabilisation. Aeration, settling and clear water extraction take place separately in time, in cycles; the excess sludge then returns to the first chamber and the cycle starts again. Only aerobically stabilised sludge is produced, so sludge removal is minimal. More information
SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor): Biological treatment in cycles: aeration, settling and clear water extraction take place one after another in the same tank. The process of the AQUATO PUMP; also possible on request for the ORKA. More information
PE (population equivalent): A measure of the size of a plant: one population equivalent corresponds to the daily wastewater of one person. A typical household of four people therefore needs a plant of about 4 PE.
DIBt approval: Approval from the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). Independent official proof that the plant has been tested and approved for use (for domestic plants, the Z-55.8 series). It is a German national approval; at European level, CE marking according to EN 12566-3 applies to small plants of up to 50 PE. More information
EN 12255: European standard series for treatment plants of more than 50 PE. It defines how the structures and technical equipment of these plants must be built, from pre-treatment to control. For small plants of up to 50 PE, EN 12566-3 applies instead. The ORKA is dimensioned according to EN 12255 for each project.
Effluent classes (DIBt): The classification of treatment performance awarded by the DIBt. Class C corresponds to basic biological treatment with carbon removal (COD and BOD5 values), class D also removes nitrogen, +P also removes phosphorus, and +H adds hygienisation to reduce germs.
PROCloud: AQUATO's remote maintenance: oxygen, sludge values and power consumption in real time; faults are detected early. The operator and the service partner see the same data. More information
Groundwater: The layers of water in the subsoil. A biological plant treats wastewater so that the water seeping into the ground does not contaminate those layers. More information