The Knight Nutrient Removal Device

The KNuRD™ is a patented technology that is designed to follow any onsite residential wastewater treatment device that treats to advanced secondary effluent standards. It is a passive, flow-thru unit that will reduce Nitrate and Phosphorus concentrations in effluent to acceptable levels.

Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients for plant growth, but when excessive levels of N and P enter bodies of water the increase in plant growth leads to lowered recreational uses of that water and eventual oxygen deprivation in our rivers, lakes, and ponds. This oxygen deprivation, in-turn impacts aquatic animal life. Water bodies hold obvious environmental value and need to be preserved. In addition, the economic impact of lakes due to their tourism/ recreational usage is tremendous. Nitrate and Nitrite in ground water is a serious health risk, especially for young children. Seasonal use properties on lakes across the country are being converted to year-round use at record rates. All of these factors lead to increased importance to keep N and P out of our water bodies. EPA acknowledges the importance of N&P removal to improve water quality in several current documents .

The System

The KNuRD™ is a gravity flow, media filter which utilizes specific medias to adsorb any Nitrogen left after nitrification and denitrification and adsorb all forms of Phosphorus that are not removed in settled solids in the secondary process. The footprint of the unit is very small (under 25 ft2) to enable it to be incorporated into systems where space is very limited. The system, as all advanced treatment systems, requires regular maintenance. When inspection (recommended every 6 months) and field-testing indicate the need, the media in the unit must be exchanged. The exchange interval will be dependant upon the nutrient loading applied to the device. It is intended that the discharge from the unit will be polished by a soil treatment system after leaving the unit.

The Results

The KNuRD™ is proven to reduce N&P levels in secondary effluent significantly. In laboratory and field trials, results (verified by certified laboratories) indicate continual reductions over 50% for both Nitrogen and Phosphorus, with typical bench top testing effluent levels of <5 mg/L of Nitrate and <2 mg/L of Total Phosphorus.

Figure 1Typical Bench Top Laboratory results for the KNuRD™ used for Phosphorus removal. Sample testing performed by certified laboratory.

I. The 1997 Response to Congress on Use of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, Voluntary Guidelines for Management of Onsite/Decentralized Wastewater Systems, and Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual are all available at WWW.EPA.GOV.
II. Adsorption is the process of electro-chemically bonding to the outside of particles.
III. Results indicate less than 5 mg/L 75% of the time.

For More Information about the KNuRd™, Contact Mark Noga: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Beginning

Knight Treatment Systems, Inc. (KTS) was formed in the early 1980s under the vision and determination of Jay Knight in response to personal research done to assure his part in protecting the water resources of Lake Ontario. His research found that the onsite wastewater treatment industry was an untapped market and could provide a long-term career.

Jay found the best technology available at the time and began marketing the system to the local, and later, the statewide market. The vision was to be the best service provider, with the most experienced and dedicated team of experts to provide this service.

It became very obvious, even at this early stage of development, that there was great opportunity within the onsite wastewater treatment sector to improve upon technology and to set up more efficient business models nationwide. To partly fulfill this opportunity, lines of improved technology were added to the arsenal of tools available for use on a regional basis.

The White Knight™

At about the time of the new Millennium, KTS was introduced to revolutionary technology which stood positioned to transform the onsite wastewater treatment industry across the Nation. After a great deal of research, investigation, and negotiation; KTS became the sole marketer, manufacturer, and distributor of the patent pending White Knight™ microbial inoculator/generator.

The KNURD™

Just after the turn of the Millennium, Jay Knight was returning home from a presentation to a community/lake association group with Mark Noga, Vice President and Doug Nelson, VP of Technical Support. One question continued to bother the trio. The group was convinced of the necessity for onsite treatment and was comfortable with many of the technologies discussed. Their one question that could not be answered was what to do to eliminate nutrients, specifically Phosphorus.

In this car, over a period of an hour or two, the basic concept of the KNURD™ was born. Within a few months the patent application was submitted and the patent was issued within the incredible time of 16 months later—a statement of the quality of the application and the uniqueness of the device. After several years of development the KNURD™ is being brought to market during 2006.

The Future

KTS continues its commitment to the onsite wastewater treatment industry through research and development, involvement in industry groups, and commitment to the betterment of the industry. We are very active in training at the local, statewide, and national levels. We participate, both through industry groups and as a private company, in regulatory reform discussions across the country.