The "White Knight™" is a Patent Pending technology developed by International Wastewater Solutions Corporation and manufactured and marketed under authorization from them by Knight Treatment Systems Inc. The White Knight™ is designed to continuously inoculate a septic tank or other treatment vessel with large numbers of very powerful non-pathogenic cultures of IOS-500™ bacteria. Originally developed for the biological reclamation of petroleum contaminated soils in third world countries the IOS-500™ bacterial process continues to achieve phenomenal success. Through airlift mixing, recirculation, and fine bubble aeration principles the White Knight™ brings the IOS-500™ bacteria into contact with fixed film substrate and the suspended organic compounds in a septic tank, or other process treatment vessel. These pure cultures of bacteria grow at logarithmic rates as they voraciously digest most of the organic pollutants that are found in wastewater and contaminated soil.

The fine bubble driven airlift features of the White Knight are designed to allow for more efficient transfer of oxygen and low maintenance, high rate circulation of wastewater through the device, and across the fixed film media. This more abundant oxygen supply supports a greater number of more robust bacteria providing more rapid digestion. Approximately one cubic foot of specifically designed internal media provides an abundant surface area for the establishment of a fixed-film culture.

When placed in a standard household septic tank or other treatment vessel, the White Knight™ greatly improves the performance characteristics of the vessel. The White Knight™ can be configured to provide a range of treatment capacities depending on the output of the air compressor, the size of the housing, and the quantity of media and bacteria applied. The standard, domestic sized White Knight™ unit is able to supply oxygen with an efficiency of approximately 33 lbs. O2/ Horsepower/ Hour. With this standard unit, operated with a small air pump capable of delivering 1.5 CFM, the White Knight™ delivers almost 40 lbs. of O2 to septic tanks that typically receive biological loads of about .17 Lbs of organic loading per person per day as Biochemical Oxygen Demand. For a large household this equates to 1 lb. BOD per day loading.

This same air current drives water to continuously circulate up through the column of media internally. The flow rate exceeds 20 gpm, or 25,000 gallons per day. At this rate the contents of the tank are exposed to the fixed-film bacterial colony more than 25 times each day. When compared on the basis of organic load (BOD) treated per unit of energy expended, the White Knight™ provides more treatment per watt of energy expended than conventional aerobic treatment.

The physical design characteristics of the White Knight™ Microbial Inoculator/Generator support the growth of selected strains of non-pathogenic, natural populations of species belonging to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas group. These bacteria are introduced into the White Knight™ by adding fresh cultures of IOS-500™ patented bacterial enzyme formula periodically. IOS-500™ is manufactured by the IWS Corporation.

These species have been selected because they are known to be among the most powerful digesters of organic wastes. They can be safely and conveniently applied using the White Knight™ mechanism. The species in the IOS-500™ blend are derived from forest soils where they normally feed on organic compounds in leaf litter. They are responsible for a large fraction of the natural cycle of nutrients and organic digestive process that occurs in a forest.

These bacteria possess a ravenous appetite for organic carbon and nitrogen. They are capable of explosive population growth under favorable conditions. They possess characteristics that are typical of organisms evolved to dominate seasonal environments, because they are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. Many of the natural bacteria found in wastewater such as the coliform group are not as aggressive at decomposition and cannot compete with the IOS-500™ selected cultures. It is the concept of microbiological addition and the design of the unit that eliminate the White Knight™ from being an Aerobic Treatment Unit as defined by the National Sanitation Foundation. (For more information go to http://www.nsf.org/newsletters/regworld01-3/rw_page4.html.)

Experience to Date

The two components of this patent pending technology are the IOS-500™ bacterial culture and the mechanical device known as the White Knight™ Microbial Inoculator/Generator. Over the last 14 years IOS-500™ culture has been successfully applied to wastewater treatment, bioremediation of contaminated soil, the restoration of leach field soil absorption rate, control of suspended solids in ponds that have been impacted by algae bloom, restoration of DO in polluted natural water bodies, treatment of manure ponds, and ground water remediation.

Field experience that combines these two powerful technologies is more recent. During the initial year of development (year 2000) over 40 Microbial Inoculator/Generator devices using IOS-500™ were installed in various configurations of septic-based treatment systems in a wide variety of soil types. The Microbial Inoculator/Generator was designed to reduce the organic loads in effluents being released to soils and to reverse the clogging created by slime forming anaerobic waste discharged from standard septic tanks. The effluent leaving the White Knight™ is depleted of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, at the same time that it is enriched with bacteria from the IOS-500™ culture that voraciously consumes the muco-polysaccharide "slime" compounds. IOS-500™ bacteria are carried to the leach field and distributed. The soil porosity is quickly enhanced by bacterial degradation of these clogging compounds and soil absorption rate is restored. Prior to Knight Treatment System becoming involve with the technology, a number of prototype Microbial Inoculator/Generator units had been installed. Since Knight Treatment Systems Inc. began installations and improving the device last year more than 100 units have been installed in residential, industrial, and commercial situations. Virtually all installations to date have been for the purpose of remediation of systems that were in failure due to biomat-clogged soil and they were unable to accept discharged water. In all instances these systems have responded to the treatment and soil acceptance of discharged effluent has been restored to a degree sufficient that the systems can be used again. The rate of restoration of function depends to some extent upon soil type, seasonal rainfall, impacts of sodium on clay (SAR), and other specific factors. In marginally failing systems, that are located in very good soils, treatment results in almost immediate recovery. Changes in system behavior are noted within 24 hours and water levels recede within a week. Other systems require longer remediation periods.