Abstract: A vacuum sewer system and a method of operating such system is disclosed. The system includes a sewage holding tank and a lateral flow line and a vacuum valve associated with the holding tank for permitting a quantity of wastewater to be drawn out of the holding tank by a vacuum environment. The wastewater is drawn through the lateral flow line and a main pipeline to a desired collection location. A plurality of air inlet valves are arranged at spaced locations along the main pipeline for facilitating the flow of wastewater through the lateral flow line so that a large volume of the wastewater can flow through the lateral flow line in a given time.

Abstract: Processes for the treatment of organic waste are disclosed, including feeding the organic waste to an ATAD reactor and subjecting the organic waste to biological digestion in the ATAD reactor in order to produce a biomass and clear decant therein, oxidizing at least a portion of the biomass so as to produce an oxidized effluent therein, and returning the oxidized effluent to the ATAD reactor. Variations on these processes which are disclosed include the removal of nutrients from the clear decant, treating of the organic waste with a mixer prior to feeding it to the ATAD reactor, feeding the waste by a grinder upstream of the mixer, feeding the mixed material initially to an AAD vessel from which methane gas is removed, and then to the ATAD reactor, with or without nutrient removal, the use of solid separation for the effluent from the ATAD reactor, and other such variants.

Abstract: Methods of soil containment and soil remediation are disclosed. The methods contemplate selecting a surface area associated with a subterraneal volume wherein the subterraneal volume includes ground water beneath the surface area. Barrier means are arranged around at least part of the perimeter of the subterraneal volume for isolating the surface area and the associated subterraneal volume from adjacent subterraneal volumes. The ground water table is then lowered to a desired depth so that a contaminated vadose zone is exposed. The ground water is maintained at such lowered depth by means of gas pressure. Optionally, the exposed vadose zone may be remediated.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of organic waste is described which comprises the steps of:a) feeding input waste in an input line to an ATAD reactor where the waste is subjected to biological digestion;b) settling out a portion of a biomass formed in the digestion unit;c) hydrolyzing the separated portion in a hydrolysis vessel;d) returning hydrolyzed effluent to the input line upstream of the ATAD reactor; ande) periodically removing clear decant from the reactor. Variations of this process include removal of nutrients from the clear decant; feeding solid organic waste by a grinder upstream of the mixer; feeding the mixed material initially to an AAD vessel from which methane gas is removed, and then to the ATAD reactor, with or without nutrient removal.

Abstract: A method for the removal of heavy metal ions from an aqueous solution which comprises the steps of admixing an aqueous slurry of FeS.sub.2 with a heavy metal ion bearing aqueous solution at a pH above 7, preferably 8-12, the slurry providing at least the stoichiometric amount of FeS.sub.2, preferably 2 to 6 times the stoichiometric amount of FeS.sub.2, for precipitating the heavy metal ions from the solution as sulfides and separating the precipitated sulfides from the aqueous solution. Desirably, a portion of the heavy metal ions are precipitated from the solution as heavy metal hydroxides and the precipitated hydroxides are separated from the solution prior to admixing the solution with the FeS.sub.2 slurry.