The special qualities that set our systems apart are their optimal versatility, ease of use, ease of installation and moving, and the ability to vary their operating cycles to suit individual needs, without having to design a new machine. The problem of industrial wastes has been solved once and for all. By separating settleable materials such as soil, stones, metals, and lightweight floating materials and substances such as oil and plastic, the system is particularly efficient for highly polluted waters.

The G.O.S.T. system totally eliminates all the needs for under- or above-ground tanks, considerably reducing installation and operating costs. Since there is no need for primary tanks, the loading pump is installed directly on the bottom of the collection pit. As all the solid materials gradually arrive, up to 1.5 cm, they are bypassed into the settling tank. The G.O.S.T. system visually has a compact cubic or rectangular shape, with smooth sides hinged to the structure for easy, constant control of its status. The cabinet containing the treatment system holds: on the left, the dosing pumps with their reagent containers; in the back, the gate valves for draining the sludge and the bottom of the tanks; on the right, the electrical panel for the controls and commands of the system functions and the electrical power inlet.

The treatment systems (apart from filtration) can be divided into two major families:

• “biological" treatments

• “chemical-physical” treatments

G.O.S.T. chemical-physical systems

Chemical-physical treatment systems entail more costly processes than biological treatment systems. This is because they involve the use of several chemical products indispensable for certain particular water treatment processes. In some cases, the chemical-physical water treatment process is installed upstream of the biological treatment system.

The chemical-physical water treatment system developed by G.O.S.T. was based on the idea of solving a series of problems typically connected with wastewater treatment.

G.O.S.T. wastewater treatment systems reduce installation problems because they do not require underground pits or traps which, due to the way they are structured, increase operation costs by requiring frequent cleaning. Most of the solid, oily, and greasy pollutants are reduced by chemical solvents.

Operation and maintenance of the chemical-physical system is simple and may be carried out with ease by the regular cleaning staff. In the case of clogging, the cleaning and removal is done quickly and without any special equipment. If there is any malfunction, the system shuts down automatically, signaling the event with a sound alarm and visual signal. Simple operations on well positioned gate valves evacuate oil, soil, pebbles, metal swarfs, grease, surfactants, degreasers, and floating or settleable solid materials, so the treatment cycle can be rebooted.

In our chemical-physical system we have considerably limited the use of moving parts, which generally reduce the life span and efficiency of the treatment process. This problem has been solved by avoiding the use of mechanical stirrers with bearings and belts that risk getting blocked in the dynamic phase.

Electricity consumption is low due to the use of just two 600W pumps, which function for 10 minutes of each hour of processing.

There is no need to invest in storage tanks, since the waste material is deposited in the upper part of the system, the settling tank. The waste exceeding treatment capacity is accumulated in this section of the chemical-physical system.

Through our continuous development to perfect our chemical-physical systems and being in close synch with our customers’ need, today G.O.S.T. is proud to offer a family of products that can be used in numerous sectors:

·         marble and stone production,

·         ceramic production,

·         carwashes,

·         washing facilities for heavy vehicles: trains, trucks, buses,

·         food, dairy, canning industries,

·         galvanization systems,

·         mechanics,

·         automobile shops, engine overhauling,

·         glass works,

·         cement and concrete works,

·         gold and precious metal working,

·         airports,

·         shipyards,

·         laundries,

·         silkscreening,

·         animal feed systems,

·         painting/varnishing booths,

·         scrap yards,

·         tanneries,

·         drycleaners,

·         all processes in which water is used continuously or occasionally.

At G.O.S.T. we have successfully solved the issues related to the above production sectors, in which we have installed our chemical-physical treatment systems, by means of a careful analysis, offering an advantage over similar systems on the market. Most other systems do not have external storage tanks (they are all underground) and they cannot ensure constant workflow.

G.O.S.T. chemical-physical treatment systems are equipped with:

·         four contact tanks, for mixing the chemical reagents

·         a degreasing tank

·         a settling tank

·         a sand filter

·         three carbon filters

·         a clarification tank

·         a dosing pump for each chemical product

·         a containment tank for homogenization

All these components are enclosed within a single stainless steel structure with hatches for inspection and maintenance, with the option of remotely checking the system’s correct functioning by telephone, with real-time alarms.

G.O.S.T. chemical-physical systems are equipped with sand and carbon filters for physical filtration, installed after the booster pump. They should be replaced about once a year (varies with the types of use and workloads). The filters have other functions in addition to holding back organic pollutants, surfactants, etc. They also serve a safety function: when they are clogged, the alarm goes off and the system shuts down; this is necessary for ensuring proper drainage.

The special construction of the contact or mixing tanks makes it possible to use different chemical products and reagents based on the effluent’s characteristics, optimizing the system’s purification capacity and allowing for more flexible customization for each individual type of activity.

Biological systems G.O.S.T.

When we decided to add biological treatment systems to our physical-chemical systems, we asked ourselves a series of questions about our customers’ needs and technical issues. Analyzing what the market had to offer, we designed and built a machine capable of solving the problems afflicting very small systems.

The results of our research were biological treatment systems powered by pumps installed in the homogenization tank, regulated for the system’s optimum flow rate. The homogenization tank or tanks are positioned near the treatment system; their purpose is to render the effluent homogeneous and collect the surplus waste that arrives in peak flow conditions.

The effluent is sent first to the aeration tank, and from there it goes into the settling tank, where it is freed of the sludge content. The clarified water goes out of the settling tank and is sent into the chlorination or disinfection tank.

The sludge accumulated on the bottom of the settling tank is suctioned by the pump and periodically sent into the aeration tank. Depending on the need, the sludge is stabilized by adding chemical products that make it easy to dry, with a low emission of bad odors. The extraction of the sludge achieves a very high and ongoing degree of purification at low operating costs.

Another important aspect is preventing the sludge from rising to the surface. Our systems are equipped with a device for programmed and completely automated cleaning of the settling tank. This device removes the sludge deposited on the bottom of the tank, keeping the settling tank clean, ensuring treatment continuity and eliminating bad odors from sludge putrefaction.

The biological wastewater treatment system entails neither maintenance nor special operating costs. It guarantees operation continuity and its application can be calibrated and programmed according to actual needs, including based on the seasons or outside temperatures.

Our biological system is designed and functions on the same concept as a system serving 100,000 inhabitants. Upstream of the system is the homogenization tank, where the loading pump is positioned.

The tank or tanks provide a continuous and homogeneous flow to the system, given that the sewer flow is discontinuous, affected by the cyclical habits of the residents. If there are no separators in the sewer system for solid materials, our system can be supplemented by installing them either upstream or downstream of the homogenization tanks, to separate materials before entering the wastewater system.

The loading pump is equipped with a double flow rate regulator that adjusts the flow and the holding flow rate in the case of low evacuation speed of the sewer. This dual regulation guarantees a minimum functioning cycle even in low flow-rate conditions. The data regarding low or high flow rate are inputted on a case-by-case basis according to the type of waste or process.

The G.O.S.T. biological treatment system can program the hourly flow rate, with the option of changing the operation of the blower and sludge recirculation. The correct functioning of the feed flow, sludge recirculation, and sludge extraction or draw-off guarantees optimal results from the treatment process.

If there is little sludge (i.e. bacteria), the water comes out dirty and unpurified; if there is too much sludge, there is great electric power consumption and the treatment cycle is ineffective, creating other problems (such as an excess of nitrates and the related cost increases for denitrification). Our biological system can program all the system cycles, therefore it is possible to obtain a young, very aggressive sludge with the advantages of low residues, small tanks, and low energy consumption.

With G.O.S.T. biological treatment systems, there are no emptying or “total cleaning” costs. Maintenance is simple and can be performed by a single person without special equipment.

There are two construction types: above-ground or semi-buried. Both are made with AISI 304 stainless steel tanks and the above-ground version comes with galvanized or painted carbon steel reinforcements.