N.Y. firm, NASA develop phosphorous system
By Tracy Hayhurst

It´s a long way from outer space to an in-ground septic tank, but a small upstate New York firm and NASA have had a successful collaboration.

Knight Treatment Systems of Oswego, N.Y., developed a device to remove phosphorous contamination from wastewater after its three principal members returned from a lake association meeting that focused on water quality in the New York City watershed, but it took some contact with the U.S. space program before it became a reality.

Peach Lake, which straddles New York´s Westchester and Putnam counties, is crowded with cottages and development with antiquated and traditional septic systems that have contributed to declining water quality, said Mark Noga, Knight´s vice president for marketing and distribution.

"We were presenting on a number of modern and emergent technologies that can deal with failing septics and treating water," Noga said. "It was ironic that people said, ´You can treat it, but what can you do for phosphorous?´ There´s really nothing that a small [septic] system owner could do to address phosphorous."

Excessive phosphorous levels in water cause increased plant production, which chokes off oxygen, leading to a decline in water quality.

"Peach Lake is shallow, and an awful lot of plants spring up, which is a nuisance for recreation, and the decomposition affects the water quality and affects the aquatic life," Noga said.

"We were in the back seat of a vehicle we were sharing on the return ride home from that meeting, and we stopped for a piece of pizza, and it was the proverbial ´drew it on a napkin´ scenario. We talked to a patent attorney and were surprised to get approval in less than 18 months," Noga said, recalling the three-way collaboration with company President Jay Knight and Doug Nelson, vice president of science and technology.

The patent is not for the gravity-flow device -- which is known as the Knight Nutrient Reduction Device, or KnuRD for short -- but for the method used to filter the wastewater on-site. It uses a combination of different manufactured media that allow charged phosphorous particles to bind to them and be removed, Noga said.

"We developed it to address residential concerns, but we can configure the units -- they´re modular -- for commercial flows, such as restaurants or convenience stores," Noga said.

Knight said his firm found several options to their media choice, but they were too expensive.

"We completed as much testing as our resources allowed, and we knew our technology worked; however, we were hoping to find a more effective media that would not necessitate a semiannual replacement," Knight said.

The company sought help from the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, which acts as a free help desk for small businesses that need technical assistance by sharing expertise from the U.S. space program, NASA field centers and universities, and by recruiting partner companies that volunteer their time and matching the firms to try and solve a problem, said Nancy Glasgow, a spokeswoman for the alliance.

The program connected Knight Treatment with AJT & Associates, a technical services, engineering and scientific company specializing in the aerospace industry.

"There is a definite need for a type of technology such as the KnuRD," said Todd Willoughby, an AJT employee who confirmed for Knight that the company was using the best possible media to handle phosphorous.

"There are many different types of media, many of which involve the addition of other chemicals or consumables," Willoughby said. "The media they are currently using is an excellent phosphorous removal system and is the most efficient in terms of removal and cost."

AJT, which is based in Cape Canaveral, Fla., is a platinum-level partner in the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, as are Boeing Co., New Mexico State University and Raytheon Co.

"Engineers at the partner companies really enjoy it," Glasgow said. "They find it very rewarding to help a small business with a situation or problem that could threaten the business´ very survival."

For more information, contact Knight Treatment Systems at (800) 560-2454 or KnightTreatmentSystems.com.

This article originally appeared in the website WasteWaterNews.com