A method of disposing waste includes the step of forming a primary waste pond
called
an Advanced Facultative Pond (AFP). A stable microbiological methane fermentation
zone is established within the AFP. The system constitutes a complete primary treatment
of organic waste and wastewater that does not require daily sludge handling typically
associated with organic waste treatment and disposal. The method of the invention
converts organic compounds, including settleable solids, into methane. The invention
controls sulfide odors from methane fermentation. The invention also provides a
method of filtering raw wastewater through a bed of fermenting organic solids suspended
by gas evolved in a fermentation zone. Hydrogen sulfide is oxidized in accordance
with the invention. The technique of the invention biologically increases pH near
the pond surface, thus retaining hydrogen sulfide in solution in the pond water.
The biological increasing of the pH level near the pond surface increases the rate
of die-away of pathogenic bacteria. The invention transforms proteins and other
organic nitrogen compounds to nitrogen gas. The invention also transforms proteins
and other organic nitrogen compounds to nitrogen gas; the invention detoxifies
chlorinated hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds; the invention captures
and stores gases evolved from methane fermentation; the invention removes heavy
metals, while establishing meromixis in fermentation cells or zones within primary
wastewater ponds.
