PATSS – Flat Packed Mini Septic Tanks (BIPUs)

There is now a safe and environmentally acceptible sewage treatment and disposal system that overcomes the problem of providing water closet toilets in remote areas and difficult terrain. Introduction to PATSS (pdf)
PATSS (BIPU) Installation, Process & Desludging

In 1998 SVP Industries (now Poly Marketing) developed the innovative PATSS flat packed mini sewage primary treatment (Certified Compliance – AS/NZS 1346.1:1998. On-site Wastewater Treatment Units) for use in conjunction with AS 1547-1994 Disposal Systems for Effluent.

PATSS installations successfully operate in remote civilian (Malevu Village Medical Clinic, Coral Coast, Fiji), military and emergency relief locations from cold rainforest through to hot arid regions and into the equatorial tropics – without the use of chemicals or technical servicing costs.

Kapuna Hospital, Gulf Province, PNG

PATSS have been successfuly installed into the Gulf Province of PNG for the Kapuna Hospital (http://inmedblogs.us/kellyhankins/kapuna-hospital-png/) the Warne River, 25 kilometres by boat from Baimuru and 350 kilometres west of Port Moresby. The nearest airstrip is grass at Kikori, 75 kilometres by boat further west and is often closed due to weather conditions. All travel is by boat, there are no roads or motor vehicles. Supply of the PATSS had to be co-ordinated to meet the supply boats which usually arrive in May and October from Port Moresby. Kapuna Hospital is a Community Health Worker training hospital with these students all living in onsite dormitories. Kapuna Hospital is in the swamps of the Purari Delta with an annual rainfall of 300 inches/7.6 metres. When the tides are very high the grounds are flooded, with normal high tides covering much of the area. The water is normally fresh, though the very high tides are slightly salt. During the initial fifty plus years the hospital had been there, toilets have been a continuing problem. PATSS were installed into the Kapuna Hospital for the girls dormitory to service approximately 50 people with minimal maintenance.

UN Camp in Dili (April 2000)

Photo #1 (at left) shows the assembly of a 5,000 litre kitchen sullage holding Chamber prior to locating into the ground.

Photo #2 (at right) shows the 5,000 litre sullage holding Chamber located in the trench prior to backfilling, the water table was 300mm below the ground surface, but the unique flexible Chamber liner made installation in the high water table easy.