Sewage installations and their design

Abstract

A sewage installation (100) for a property located in a geographical area is provided The sewage installation (100) comprises a sludge separation arrangement (130) and an effluent aerating arrangement (150), which have both been selected and dimensioned to be optimized for the property based on: design rules for the geographical area, obtained from a design rule module (310) arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area, obtained from a hydrogeologic module (320) arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390); and on-site observations for the property, obtained from an observation module (330) arranged to store on-site observations made on the property. Also provided is a system (300) and a method (800) for designing a sewage installation.

Description

[0001] SEWAGE INSTALLATIONS AND THEIR DESIGN

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to sewage installations and their design.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The design of sewage installations is typically a manual exercise, which is entirely based on the experience of the sewage designer. A sewage installer who regularly designs and installs sewage installations in a particular area typically builds experience regarding the relevant rules and regulations for the geographical area, and may also become aware of the hydrogeological conditions in the geographical area.

[0006] PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIOR ART

[0007] Most sewage installations are "one-off” installations, for properties that are developed individually, and it is then very cumbersome to gather all the information that is needed if the sewage installation is to be optimized for the property in question.

[0008] There is thus a need for improved systems and methods for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area.

[0009] SUMMARY

[0010] The present disclosure relates to a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area. The sewage installation comprises a sludge separation arrangement and an effluent aerating arrangement, which have both been selected and dimensioned to be optimized for the property based on: design rules for the geographical area, obtained from a design rule module arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area, obtained from a hydrogeologic module arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources; and on-site observations for the property, obtained from an observation module arranged to store on-site observations made on the property. Such a sewage installation fulfils all rules and regulations for the geographical area, and is optimized for the property in question^

[0011] In embodiments, the effluent aerating arrangement comprises a septic drain field construction with dimensions that are optimized for the property. i In embodiments, the septic drain field construction is a soil infiltration system.

[0012] In embodiments, the soil infiltration system is an infiltration bed.

[0013] In embodiments, the soil infiltration system is a soil bed comprising an effluent aerating layer that is dimensioned to be optimized for the property.

[0014] In embodiments, the sewage installation comprises one or more sensors arranged to transfer on-site measurement data to a sewage installation monitoring module, which may be connected to a system for designing the sewage installation. The sewage installation monitoring module may receive data regarding the performance of the sewage installation from various sources. Observations may e.g. be entered into sewage installation monitoring module during project planning, inspection or service of the sewage installation.

[0015] The present disclosure further relates to a system for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area. The system preferably comprises: a design rule module, arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; a hydrogeologic module, arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources; an observation module, arranged to store on-site observations made on the property; a user interface to the observation module, through which user interface a user may enter the on-site observations made on the property; a design engine; and a report generator, arranged to generate one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation. The design engine is preferably arranged to: obtain design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module; obtain geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module; obtain on-site observations for the property from the observation module; and design a sewage installation, comprising a sludge separation arrangement and an effluent aerating arrangement, which are both optimized for the property based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations.

[0016] The present disclosure also relates to a method for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area. The method preferably comprises: storing design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module; storing geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources in a hydrogeologic module; entering on-site observations made on the property through a user interface to an observation module; storing the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module; obtaining design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module; obtaining geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module; obtaining on-site observations for the property from the observation module; designing a sewage installation, comprising a sludge separation arrangement and an effluent aerating arrangement, which are both optimized for the property based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, using a design engine; and generating one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation, using a report generator.

[0017] The above system and method enable the design of a sewage installation that fulfils all rules and regulations for the geographical area, and is optimized for the property in question.

[0018] In embodiments, the design of the sewage installation based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, comprises evaluating a number of different potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements and effluent aerating arrangements, determining a rating for each of the potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements and effluent aerating arrangements based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions, and selecting the combination of a sludge separation arrangement and an effluent aerating arrangement that receives the best rating as the sewage installation optimized for the property.

[0019] In embodiments, the design rules stored in the design rule module are design rules in the form of official regulations received from predefined official rule sources, as well as design rules based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations, in relation to parameters such as the potential environmental impact of the sewage installation, or a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation.

[0020] In embodiments, the hydrogeologic module is regularly connected to at least some of the predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources, in order to automatically extract updated geological and hydrogeological information from these sources.

[0021] In embodiments, the system comprises one or more sensors arranged on the property, and the one or more sensors are arranged to transfer on-site measurement data to the observation module.

[0022] In embodiments, the on-site observations comprise information about on-site topography. The on-site topography may e.g. determined in relation to an absolute reference point on the property. The report generator may then be arranged to generate a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation on the property, where exact positions for digging or installation as well as calculated digging or installation depths are indicated in relation to the absolute reference point on the property. In embodiments, one or more documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation are generated using the report generator.

[0023] In embodiments, one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management for the designed sewage installation are generated using the report generator. Such plans may include parameters such as a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation, a classification of the sewage installation, the time intervals for inspection and / or service, and one or more checklists for inspection and / or service, to be used either by a contractor or for self-monitoring.

[0024] The term "sewage installation” in this application comprises all types of decentralized septic system installations for water and sanitation for one or more houses, such as e.g. on-site wastewater systems.

[0025] The term "sewage” is in this application defined as any kind of household wastewater, comprising both greywater and wastewater from WC / toilets.

[0026] The term "effluent” is in this application defined as sewage from which the foam and the sludge has been separated off.

[0027] The term "effluent aerating arrangement” in this application comprises all arrangements where the effluent is treated in an aerobic process by microorganisms attached to biocarriers.

[0028] The term "septic drain field construction” in this application comprises all arrangements where the effluent slowly drains through soil and is treated in an aerobic process by microorganisms attached to the soil.

[0029] The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.

[0030] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Fig. 1a schematically illustrates a sewage installation, Figs. 1 b-c schematically illustrate sludge separation arrangements, Fig. 1d schematically illustrates a septic drain field construction in the form of an infiltration bed, and Fig. 1e schematically illustrates a septic drain field construction in the form of a soil bed, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0032] Fig. 2a schematically illustrates the use of a ground water observation pipe for determining the water table level on a property, and Fig. 2b schematically illustrates how the determined water table level affects the selection of the type of septic drain field construction, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0033] Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a system for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0034] Fig. 4 is an example flow diagram of a method for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0035] Fig. 5a illustrates the use of an absolute depth indicating arrangement comprising a laser receiver for determining the digging or installation depth or height in relation to an absolute reference point, and Figs. 5b- c show 3D maps of parts of a planned sewage installation on a property, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0036] Fig. 6a shows a topographical image of a property generated by lidar scanning using a smartphone, and Fig. 6b shows a topographical image of a property generated by a drone, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0037] Fig. 7a illustrates a test hole, Fig. 7b illustrates a soil layer map for a test hole, Fig. 7c illustrates the composition of different types of soil, and Fig. 7d is a diagram illustrating LTAR for different types of soil, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0038] Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a method for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0039] Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures.

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for designing a sewage installation for a property located in a geographical area. Embodiments of the disclosed solution are presented in more detail in connection with the figures.

[0042] Fig. 1a schematically illustrates a sewage installation 100 for a house 110 located on a property. The designing of a sewage installation 100 for a property typically comprises selecting and dimensioning a combination of a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150. In the sludge separation arrangement 130, sewage from a sewage inlet pipe 120 undergoes a first treatment step, where solid waste, foam and sludge is separated off from the sewage, creating effluent. A typical example of a sludge separation arrangement 130 is a septic tank, as schematically illustrated in Figs. 1 b-c. The sludge is typically stored in one or more compartments of the sludge separation arrangement 130, which are regularly emptied. In the effluent aerating arrangement 150, the remaining effluent is treated in an aerobic process by microorganisms attached to biocarriers. Common effluent aerating arrangements 150 comprise septic drain field constructions, typically in the form of soil infiltration systems, such as e.g. infiltration beds, soil beds, and gravel trenches. In such effluent aerating arrangements 150, effluent slowly drains through soil and is treated in an aerobic process by microorganisms attached to the soil. If the sewage installation 100 comprises a mini sewage treatment plant, e.g. an aerated water treatment system (AWTS), the sludge separation arrangement 130 and the effluent aerating arrangement 150 may both be parts of this mini sewage treatment plant. Other components, such as e.g. a dosing chamber, a distribution box, a flocculating agent distributor, a phosphorus- and nitrogen trap or disinfectant process, such as e.g. UV- or chlorine treatment, may also be included in the sewage installation 100.

[0043] In addition to the selection of the combination of the sludge separation arrangement 130 and the effluent aerating arrangement 150, an equally important part of the designing of a sewage installation 100 is to determine exactly where on the property the sludge separation arrangement 130 and the effluent aerating arrangement 150 should be arranged, and how to install them. The sewage installation 100 schematically illustrated in Fig. 1a comprises a sewage inlet pipe 120, a sludge separation arrangement 130, an effluent transport pipe 140, an effluent aerating arrangement 150, and an outlet pipe 190 for the aerated effluent. The dimensions and material choices may depend on parameters such as the access to graded gravel, the climate in the area, and whether there are pollutions in the soil that may affect certain materials.

[0044] Fig. 1d schematically illustrates a septic drain field construction in the form of an infiltration bed, and Fig. 1e schematically illustrates a septic drain field construction in the form of a soil bed. Both these soil infiltration systems typically comprise an effluent distribution layer 160, in embodiments comprising e.g. macadam 8-16 mm, in which one or more effluent distribution pipes 166, having downwards directed effluent distribution holes, are arranged, preferably with a distance D of at least one meter between them. Vertical aerating ventilation pipes (not shown) are preferably also arranged in the effluent distribution layer 160. The effluent distribution layer 160 is typically covered by a geotextile fabric 164 before being covered by backfilling compounds 162.

[0045] In a soil bed, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 e, the effluent distribution layer 160 is arranged to allow the sewage to drain down through an effluent aerating layer 170, in embodiments comprising e.g. soil bed sand. There may be a separation layer 172, in embodiments comprising e.g. macadam 4-8 mm, above the effluent aerating layer 170, and another similar separation layer 174 below it. The aerated effluent is collected in a drainage pipe 180, which is arranged in a drainage layer 176. Vertical aerating ventilation pipes (not shown) may be arranged also in the drainage layer 176. The drainage pipe 180 is typically connected to an outlet well, from which an outlet pipe 190 distributes the aerated effluent.

[0046] In an infiltration bed, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 d, there is no need to arrange an effluent aerating layer 170, as the aeration of the effluent takes place in the soil below the infiltration bed. Thus, an infiltration bed is only recommended in situations where the soil below the infiltration bed has properties that allow for a thorough aeration of the effluent. The total with of the schematically illustrated infiltration bed is approximately two meters.

[0047] The design of a septic drain field construction involves determining the dimensions needed to provide an efficient aeration of the effluent, including the area needed for the soil absorption zone. These dimensions depend on factors such as the predicted or expected amount of sewage to be treated by the sewage installation 100, the hydrogeological conditions, and the long-term acceptance rate (LTAR) of the soil layers in the ground at the location where the septic drain field construction is to be placed. The dimensions also depend on whether a module system, such as e.g. bio modules or GSF modules, is used. The effluent aerating layer 170 in a soil bed typically comprises engineered sand within field A or B (see Fig. 7d), and has a thickness that is determined based on the estimated flow-through time through the effluent aerating layer 170, to allow enough time for the aeration of the effluent. A typical thickness of an effluent aerating layer 170 may e.g. be 0.3-0.8 meters. The effluent drainage layer 176 typically comprises graded gravel of a desired coarseness, and the thickness of this layer 176 is also determined based on the desired properties. A typical thickness of an effluent drainage layer 176 may e.g. be 0.2-0.3 meters.

[0048] The designing of a sewage installation 100 for a property thus involves selecting and dimensioning a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150 based on the needs, rules and regulations that apply to the property, and the geological and hydrogeological conditions on the property. When the sludge separation arrangement 130 and the effluent aerating arrangement 150 have been selected and dimensioned, the desired location for them on the property must be determined, based on e.g. the detailed topography of the property. Other important pieces of information concern the distance to big trees with extensive root systems, roads, water wells, energy wells, the water table level on the property, and the direction and speed of ground water travel in different areas of interest on the property. It is extremely important to minimize the risk of the ground water in any way becoming polluted by the effluent, and thus is should preferably be ensured that any effluent distribution layer 160 is placed in the unsaturated zone, at least one meter above the water table level (that separates the unsaturated zone from the saturated zone), and that any effluent aerating layer 170 is also placed above the water table level. Any water that drains down from the sewage installation 100 into the saturated zone, into the ground water, must first have been properly treated. Further, if parts of the effluent aerating arrangement 150 are located in the saturated zone or become flooded by water, this may drown and kill the microbes that treat the effluent as it drains through the effluent aerating layer 170.

[0049] The water table level may be determined using a water table observation point, e.g. a ground water observation pipe 200, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 2a. The ground water observation pipe 200 preferably comprises a lid 210 and a measurement stick, or any other type of measuring arrangement which can be used for determining the water level in the ground water observation pipe 200, such as e.g. a folding ruler, a yardstick or a sinker. At the lower end of the ground water observation pipe 200, there are preferably holes, perforations or slits, to allow the ground water to enter the observation pipe 200. The ground water observation pipe 200 may e.g. be made of PP or PVC, and should preferably have a diameter of at least 0,1 m. In order to determine the water table level in the exact position where the sewage installation 100 is planned to be located, the ground water observation pipe 200 should preferably be placed within a few meters of this position, and its lower end placed at least two meters below the ground level. When the ground water observation pipe 200 has been placed in the desired position, the bottom of the hole is preferably filled with a material such as e.g. macadam 220, and a separation layer 230 made of e.g. a geotextile. The remainder of the hole is the preferably re-filled with the compound that was removed for creating the hole, after the removal of any large or sharp rocks from the compound.

[0050] The ground water observation pipe 200 may be left on site after the installation of the sewage installation 100, to provide measurements over time, and determine any variations of the water table level. This may e.g. be used to monitor that the water table level does not rise so high that it drowns and kills the microbes that treat the effluent in the effluent aerating arrangement 150. The sewage installation 100 may thus comprise one or more sensors 200 arranged to transfer on-site measurement data to a sewage installation monitoring module 335 (which may be connected to a system 300 for designing the sewage installation 100). Relevant sensors 200 may e.g. be flow sensors, for measuring the flow of sewage into the sewage installation 100 and / or the flow of effluent into the effluent aerating arrangement 150, and / or for measuring the flow out from the outlet pipe 190. A pH sensor in the outlet pipe 190 may determine whether the sewage treatment is acceptable. Level sensors for determining the level of sewage and / or sludge in the sludge separation arrangement 130 may be used to monitor that the sludge separation arrangement 130 is not too full, since this may cause a blocking of inlet or outlet pipes.

[0051] The sewage installation monitoring module 335 may receive data regarding the performance of the sewage installation 100 from various sources. Observations may e.g. be entered into the sewage installation monitoring module 335 during self-monitoring, inspection or service of the sewage installation 100.

[0052] In embodiments, the system 300 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area comprises a design rule module 310 which is configured to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area. The system 300 may then further comprise a hydrogeologic module 320 configured to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 and an observation module 330 arranged to store on-site observations made on the property.

[0053] The system may also comprise a user interface 340 to the observation module 330, through which user interface 340 a user 370 may enter the on-site observations made on the property, and a design engine 350 arranged to obtain design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310.

[0054] In embodiments, the system 300 may further comprise a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level. The observation module 330 may then be configured to obtain and / or receive information such as measurement data about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property. The observation module 330 of the system 300 may then be configured to obtain and / or receive on-site topography measurement data and, based on the received on-site topography measurement data, determine information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property. The on-site topography measurement data may then be obtained by using tools such as e.g. a laser or by lidar scanning and / or photogrammetry. This may be done by using electronic equipment such as e.g. a smartphone, ipad or other handheld device, or using one or more drones. The same electronic equipment comprising tools such as a laser for obtaining on-site topography measurement data may then also comprise the observation module 330.

[0055] In addition to be configured to obtain and / or receive on-site topography measurement data, the observation module 330 may further be configured to obtain on-site measurement data, or sensor data, from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level.

[0056] The system 300, e.g. the design rule module 310 and / or observation module 330, may then be configured to determine minimum distances, e.g. essentially vertical distances, to a measured ground water level and minimum distances, essentially horizontal distances, to sensitive objects, such as e.g. water wells, based on at least one of the obtained on-site topography measurement data and the obtained on-site measurement data, or sensor data, from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level.

[0057] The system 300 may then be configured to design and / or determine a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations comprising the obtained and / or received information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property and the on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data received by the observation module (330) from the ground water observation pipe (200) arranged on the property for determining a ground water level. The system 300 may then be configured to design and / or determine a sewage installation at least partly based on at least one of obtained on-site topography measurement data and measurement data obtained from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level. The observation module 330 may then be configured to receive on-site topography measurement and / or to receive, from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property, sensor / measurement data for determining a ground water level. In embodiments, the system 300 itself comprise tools, e.g. a laser, for obtaining and transferring on-site topography measurement data and / or a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level and transferring sensor / measurement data to the observation module 330.

[0058] In embodiments, the system 300 is configured to determine both the vertical and horizontal location of a sewer installation based on on-site measurement data, e.g. on-site topography measurement data and / or measurement data for determining a ground water level obtained and / or received from the property for the installation and obtained design rules for the geographical area. The system 300 may then be configured to both select a sewer installation 100 among a plurality of different and potential sewer installations 100 and determine both the vertical and horizontal location for the sewer installation 10 based on obtained and / or received on-site measurement data and design rules. For example, the horizontal location for the sewer installation 100, e.g. in relation to an absolute reference point, may be determined by the system 300 at least partly from design rules obtained by the design rule module 310 and obtained observation data such as onsite measurement data.

[0059] The horizontal location of the sewer installation 100, e.g. in relation to an absolute reference point, may then typically be determined, by the system 300, at least partly based on determined minimum distances to sensitive objects, such as e.g. water wells. The system 300 may then be configured to determine minimum (horizontal) distances to sensitive objects based on obtained on-site observations such as on-site topography measurement data. The system 300 may then comprise tools, e.g. a laser, for obtaining and transferring on-site topography measurement data to the observation module 330.

[0060] The vertical location of the sewer installation 100 may then typically be determined by the system 300 at least partly based on determined minimum distances to an obtained or measured ground water level. The system 300 may then be configured to determine minimum (vertical) distances to a determined ground water level based on obtained on-site observations such as sensor / measurement data obtained from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level. The system 300 may then comprise an observation pipe 200 and / or the observation module 330 may be configured to receive measurement data from the observation pipe 200.

[0061] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system 300 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area, the system 300 comprising: a design rule module 310, arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; a hydrogeologic module 320, arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390; an observation module 330, arranged to store on-site observations made on the property, wherein the observation module 330 is configured to obtain information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property and receive on-site observations for the property comprising on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data transferred to the observation module 330 from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level; a user interface 340 to the observation module 330, through which user interface 340 a user 370 may enter the on-site observations made on the property; a design engine 350, arranged to: obtain design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtain geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; obtain on-site observations for the property from the observation module 330, wherein the on-site observations comprise information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property obtained by the observation module 330 and the on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data received, by the observation module 330, from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level; and design a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations comprising the obtained information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property and the on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data received by the observation module 330 from the ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level.

[0062] In embodiments, the system 300 is configured to determine the on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property, e.g. by use of data / information obtained a laser or data / information obtained by lidar scanning and / or photogrammetry. The system 300 may then be configured to determine how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100, e.g. a selected sewage installation 100, on the property, including at least one of locations / positions for digging or installation, digging / installation depths and heights indicated in relation to the absolute reference point on the property.

[0063] In embodiment, the system may further comprise an absolute depth indicating arrangement 500 for indicating the digging or installation depth or height in relation to an absolute reference point. In the illustrated embodiment of the absolute depth indicating arrangement 500, a laser receiver 510 is placed on a yardstick 520, at a level that is indicated in the detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property. The system 300 may then be arranged and configured to transfer the data needed for digging the holes for a selected sewage installation 100 directly to a digging system.

[0064] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method 800 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area, the method 800 comprising: storing 810 design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module 310; storing 815 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 in a hydrogeologic module 320; obtaining 845, by an observation module 330, on-site observations made on the property including onsite measurement data obtained on the property; storing 850 the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module 330; obtaining 855 design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtaining 860 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; selecting and / or designing 870 a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and the on-site observations including on-site measurement data, using adesign engine 350.

[0065] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method 800 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area by use of a system 300 comprising a design rule module 310, a hydrogeologic module 320, an observation module 330, a user interface 340 to the observation module 330 and a design engine 350, the method 800 comprising: storing 810, in the design rule module 310, design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; storing 815, in the hydrogeologic module 320, geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390; arranging 830, on the property, a ground water observation pipe 200 configured to obtain on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data for determining a ground water level; transferring 835, from said ground water observation pipe 200 to the observation module 330, the onsite measurement data in the form of said sensor data for determining a ground water level that was obtained by said ground water observation pipe 200;determining 840 information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property; entering 845, through the user interface 340 of the observation module 330, on-site observations made on the property through, wherein the on-site observations comprise information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property; storing 850 the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module 330; obtaining 855 design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtaining 860 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; obtaining 865, by the design engine 350, on-site observations for the property from the observation module 330, wherein the on-site observations data obtained from the observation module 330 comprise the on-site measurement data in the form of sensor data for determining a ground water level that was obtained by said ground water observation pipe 200 and the determined information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property; designing 870, by use of the design engine 350, a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations comprising the determined information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property and the on-site measurement data in the form of said transferred and received sensor data for determining a ground water level obtained by said ground water observation pipe 200.

[0066] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method 800 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area, the method 800 comprising: storing 810 design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module 310; storing 815 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 in a hydrogeologic module 320; obtaining, by at least one of a tool for obtaining on-site topography measurement data and a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level, on-site measurement data; transferring, by at least one of a tool for obtaining on-site topography measurement data and a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level, the obtained onsite measurement data; receiving 845, by an observation module 330, on-site observations made on the property including onsite measurement data obtained on the property; storing 850 the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module 330; obtaining 855 design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtaining 860 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; selecting and / or designing 870 a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and the on-site observations including on-site measurement data, using a design engine 350.

[0067] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method 800 for selecting and / or designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area, the method 800 comprising: storing 810 design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module 310; storing 815 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 in a hydrogeologic module 320; arranging, on the property, a ground water observation pipe 200 for determining a ground water level; obtaining, by the ground water observation pipe 200, on-site measurement data for determining a ground water level; transferring, from the ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level to the observation module 330, the obtained on-site measurement data; receiving 845, by the observation module 330 from the ground water observation pipe 200, on-site observations made on the property including the on-site measurement data obtained by the ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property; storing 850 the on-site measurement data arranged on the property in the observation module 330; obtaining 855 design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtained from the ground water observation pipe 200 obtaining 860 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; selecting and / or designing 870 a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and the on-site observations including the on-site measurement data obtained by the ground water observation pipe 200, using a design engine 350.

[0068] In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method 800 for selecting and / or designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area, the method 800 comprising: storing 810 design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module 310; storing 815 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 in a hydrogeologic module 320; obtaining, on the property and by use of a tool for obtaining on-site topography measurement data such as a laser or a tool using lidar scanning and / or photogrammetry, on-site topography measurement data; obtaining 845, by the observation module 330, the on-site topography measurement data obtained by the tool for obtaining on-site topography measurement data; storing 850 the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module 330; obtaining 855 design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtaining 860 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; selecting and / or designing 870 a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and the on-site observations including the obtaining on-site topography measurement data, using a design engine 350. In embodiments, the method further comprises determining, by the design engine 350 and based on at least one of on-site measurement data and obtained design rules, at least one of the vertical location, e.g. in relation to obtained or measured ground water level, and horizontal location, e.g. in relation to an absolute reference point for a sewer installation 100, e.g. the vertical and / or horizontal location may be determined for a sewer installation 100 selected which has been selected by the system 300 at least partly based on obtained observation data and design rules.

[0069] Fig. 2b schematically illustrates how the determined water table level affects the selection of the type of septic drain field construction. For example, if the water table level is high, it may be necessary to select a septic drain field construction in the form of a mound soil infiltration system.

[0070] Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a system 300 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area. The system 300 schematically illustrated in Fig. 3 comprises a design rule module 310, a hydrogeologic module 320, an observation module 330, a user interface 340 to the observation module 330, a design engine 350, and a report generator 360.

[0071] The design rule module 310 is arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area. These design rules may comprise official regulations received from predefined official rule sources 380, such as e.g. government agencies that set up regulations for sewage installations.

[0072] Examples of such government agencies in Sweden are the various municipalities, which often have specific regulations for sewage installations for the municipality in question. The design rules may however just be based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations, in relation to parameters such as the potential environmental impact of the sewage installation, or a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation. Such design rules may be manually entered into the design rule module 310, but they may also be automatically derived from historical sewage installations, e.g. using machine learning. The design rules may also comprise various calculation formulas, e.g. for calculating minimum distances to sensitive objects, such as e.g. water wells.

[0073] The hydrogeologic module 320 is arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390. Such official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 may e.g. be government agencies that collect such geological and hydrogeological information. Examples of such government agencies are EGDI from EGS (EuroGeoSurveys), PanAfGeo, SGU (Geological Survey of Sweden), and the various County Administrative Boards. Through them, it is possible to access e.g. topographical data, geological data, soil layer depth data and ground water data. Through the County Administrative Boards, it may be possible to access data such as ground hardness data and ground permeability data, which is important for determining how water travels in the ground. The County Administrative Boards typically also provide risk assessment information regarding in which areas sewage planning is extra sensitive, e.g. because of the potential impact on the environment or human health, e.g. due to shallow freshwater sources.

[0074] Topographical data, geological data, soil layer depth data, ground water data, ground hardness data and ground permeability data is useful for planning the location of a sewage installation 100, but the resolution of such data obtained from official sources is typically not high enough for any detailed planning. It is therefore necessary to visit the property in order to make more detailed on-site measurements and / or observations. Such observations may e.g. comprise information about on-site topography, especially the detailed topography in areas of interest on the property. When a user 370 visits the property in order to make the measurements and observations that are needed in order to design a sewage installation 100 optimized for the property, these on-site observations may be entered through the user interface 340 to the observation module 330, and stored in the observation module 330. The on-site observations may also comprise information about the type and amount of sewage expected on the property, based on parameters such as the predicted use of the house or houses on the property, whether the use is constant or intermittent (e.g. season based), whether there are large bathtubs, water filtration systems or similar on the property which may cause flow peaks, and / or whether the sewage comprises only greywater or also wastewater from WC / toilets. If the owner of the property has specific requirements for the sewage installation 100, this is also preferably entered through the user interface 340 to the observation module 330. On-site observations may also be in the form of sensor data received from sensors such as e.g. the ground water observation pipe 200 schematically illustrated in Fig. 2a. Sensors 200 arranged on the property may thus be arranged to transfer on-site measurement data directly to the observation module 330, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0075] The on-site observations may be very important in order to determine the optimal placement of different parts of the sewage installation 100, especially the effluent aerating arrangement 150. Other important pieces of information concern the water table level on the property, and the direction and speed of ground water travel in different areas of interest on the property. It is extremely important to minimize the risk of the ground water in any way becoming polluted by the effluent, and thus is should preferably be ensured that any effluent distribution layer 160 is placed in the unsaturated zone, at least one meter above the water table level (that separates the unsaturated zone from the saturated zone), and that any effluent aerating layer 170 is also placed above the water table level. Any water that drains down from the sewage installation 100 into the saturated zone, into the ground water, must first have been properly treated.

[0076] The design engine 350 is arranged to obtain design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310; obtain geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320; obtain on-site observations for the property from the observation module 330; and design a sewage installation 100 comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, which are both optimized for the property, based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations. The design may be entirely automated, or the design engine 350 may interact with a user. The user may e.g. approve or reject certain choices made during the design process, or the design engine 350 may provide feedback for designs or design choices proposed by the user.

[0077] The design of the sewage installation 100 based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, may e.g. comprise evaluating a number of different potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements 130 and effluent aerating arrangements 150, and determining a rating for each of the potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements 130 and effluent aerating arrangements 150 based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions. The combination of a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150 that receives the best rating is then preferably selected as the sewage installation 100 optimized for the property. The optimization may also take into account other parameters, such as e.g. the environmental impact, or the estimated cost, so that the system 300 will not recommend an unnecessarily expensive sewage installation 100. The estimated cost should then preferably include the initial cost for the sewage installation 100, as well as the cost over time for the service and maintenance of the sewage installation 100. For some types of sewage installation 100, the initial cost is relatively low, but the lifetime cost is quite high. For other types of sewage installation 100, the initial cost is higher, but the cost over time is lower. What is desired in this regard may depend on the shortterm available resources, or the expectancy of long-term function.

[0078] The report generator 360 is arranged to generate one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation 100. One example of such a report is a description of the designed sewage installation 100 which may be used for obtaining quotes for the installation. Another example of such a report is a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property, e.g. including detailed information regarding exactly where and how to dig the necessary holes in the ground. The report generator 360 may also generate the various documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation 100. The report generator 360 may be set up to also generate one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management over time. Such plans may include parameters such as a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation 100, a classification of the sewage installation 100, the time intervals for inspection and / or service, and / or one or more checklists for inspection and / or service, to be used either by a contractor or for self-monitoring.

[0079] The above described system 300 enables the design of a sewage installation 100 that fulfils all rules and regulations for the geographical area, and is optimized for the property in question. The sewage installation 100 is thus preferably designed to be optimized for the property based on: design rules for the geographical area, obtained from a design rule module 310 arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area, obtained from a hydrogeologic module 320 arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390; and on-site observations for the property, obtained from an observation module 330 arranged to store on-site observations made on the property. Such a sewage installation 100 fulfils all rules and regulations for the geographical area, and is optimized for the property in question.

[0080] Fig. 4 is an example flow diagram of a method 400 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area. As seen in this flow diagram, the design rule module 310 may be arranged to receive 410 design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area from predefined official rule sources 380. However, design rules based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations may also be stored in the design rule module 310. Such design rules may be manually entered into the design rule module 310, but they may also be automatically derived from historical sewage installations, e.g. using machine learning. The hydrogeologic module 320 may in the same way be arranged to receive 420 geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390.

[0081] When a user 370 visits the property in order to make the measurements and observations that are needed in order to design a sewage installation 100 optimized for the property, these on-site observations may be entered 430 through the user interface 340 to the observation module 330, and stored 440 in the observation module 330. Measurement data from one or more sensors 200 may also be transferred 445 to and stored in the observation module 330.

[0082] In order for the design engine 350 to design a sewage installation 100 optimized for the property, it first needs to obtain 450 the relevant the design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310, obtain 460 the geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320, and obtain 470 the on-site observations for the property from the observation module 330. Based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, e.g. on-site topography measurement data and / or on-site sensor / measurement data received from a ground water observation pipe 200 arranged on the property for determining a ground water level, the design engine 350 then determines or designs 480 a sewage installation 100 optimized for the property, e.g. by determining a rating for each of a number of potential sewage installations 100 based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions, and selecting the sewage installation 100 that receives the best rating as the sewage installation 100 optimized for the property. Information about the designed sewage installation 100 is then sent 490 to the report generator 360, where one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation 100 are generated. One such report may be a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property. One problem when constructing and installing a designed sewage installation 100 is to know exactly how deep to dig the various holes for the equipment. Even if the layout of the sewage installation 100 is clear on paper, it may be difficult to determine the correct digging or installation depth or height on site, since there is typically no absolute reference point. It may then be advantageous to create an artificial absolute reference point on the property, by selecting a position that is clearly marked and will not change over time, such as e.g. a big rock, or a house, street or terrace corner. When making the on-site observations on the property, the detailed topography in areas of interest on the property is then preferably determined in relation to this absolute reference point. The detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property may then indicate the area for digging or installation as distances to this reference point, as well as digging or installation depths or heights in relation to the height of this reference point.

[0083] Fig. 5a illustrates the use of an absolute depth indicating arrangement 500 for indicating the digging or installation depth or height in relation to an absolute reference point. In the illustrated embodiment of the absolute depth indicating arrangement 500, a laser receiver 510 is placed on a yardstick 520, at a level that is indicated in the detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property. When a laser has been positioned on the property, the height of the laser in relation to the reference point is determined, and this is added to the level that is indicated in the detailed description. A laser receiver 510 placed at this corrected level will indicate when it receives the laser ray, and this will indicate to the constructor that the yardstick is placed at the correct level.

[0084] A more advanced digging system may instead comprise an integrated depth indicating arrangement 500. For such a digging system, the system 300 may be arranged to transfer the data needed for digging the holes for the equipment directly to the digging system. Such data would then typically comprise absolute depths indicated in the detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property. The data could be related to an absolute reference point, or for more advanced digging systems be 3D GPS data.

[0085] In addition to the digging or installation depth or height, it is of course also necessary to know the exact location for the digging or installation. Figs. 5b-c show 3D maps of parts of a planned sewage installation 100 on a property. Fig. 5b shows a 3D map in which distances to different parts of the sewage installation 100 from various reference points can be measured. Such a 3D map may be very detailed, as illustrated in Fig. 5c. Other examples of reports generated by the report generator 360 are documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation 100, and / or one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management for the designed sewage installation 100. Such plans may include parameters such as a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation 100, a classification of the sewage installation 100, the time intervals for inspection and / or service, and one or more checklists for inspection and / or service, to be used either by a contractor or for self-monitoring.

[0086] The detailed topography of a property may be determined by manual observations using tools such as e.g. a laser, but it may also be determined using methods such as e.g. lidar scanning and photogrammetry. This may be done using electronic equipment such as e.g. a smartphone, ipad or other handheld device, or using one or more drones. Fig. 6a shows a topographical image of a property generated by lidar scanning using a smartphone, and Fig. 6b shows a topographical image of a property generated by a drone.

[0087] In order to design an efficient sewage installation 100, it is necessary to know the condition of the soil in the ground, and especially the LTAR of the soil. The LTAR affects parameters such as the area needed for the soil absorption zone for an efficient aeration of the effluent. When making the on-site observations on the property, it therefore is often desirable to determine the layout of the soil layers in the in the position where the sewage installation 100 is planned to be located. It may be desirable to dig a test hole close to this position, document the observations, and make a soil layer map of the soil layers in this test hole. Fig. 7a illustrates such a test hole. Soil samples may be taken at different depths in the test hole, e.g. every 0,5 m, or where there appears to be a shift between different soil layers.

[0088] Fig. 7b illustrates a soil layer map 700 (also termed stratigraphic column) for such a test hole. The soil layers shown in the illustrated soil layer map 700 are a humus layer 710 at 0-10 cm depth, a pale soil layer 720 at 10-20 cm depth, a rust soil layer 730 at 20-45 cm depth, a mineral soil layer 740 at 45-145 cm depth, a mud layer 760 at 145-210 cm depth, and rock 770 below this. Also illustrated in the soil layer map 700 is the water table level 750, and the saturated zone 755 below this. The LTAR for each layer may be determined using a sample of the layer, e.g. by performing a percolation test on the sample. Based on the soil layer map 700 and the LTAR for the different layers, it is possible to determine the optimal installation depth and dimensions necessary to provide an efficient aeration of the sewage. Fig. 7c illustrates the composition of different types of soil.

[0089] Fig. 7d is a diagram illustrating LTAR for different types of soil. If the soil falls within the fields A or B, it may be possible to arrange an infiltration bed as the effluent aerating arrangement 150, depending on the predicted or expected amount of sewage to be treated by the sewage installation 100. If the soil falls outside both fields, the soil is either too fine or too coarse for infiltration, and thus a different type of effluent aerating arrangement 150 is needed, such as e.g. a ground bed. Below the diagram, the LTAR for the different fields is illustrated. If the LTAR is between 15 and 70, it is typically possible to arrange an infiltration bed as the effluent aerating arrangement 150, provided that the distance between the one or more effluent distribution pipes 166 and the water table level is at least one meter. If this distance is less than one meter, elevated infiltration in a mound system is typically necessary.

[0090] Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a method 800 for designing a sewage installation 100 for a property located in a geographical area. The method 800 may comprise:

[0091] Step 810: storing design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module 310.

[0092] Step 815: storing geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390 in a hydrogeologic module 320.

[0093] Step 845: entering on-site observations made on the property through a user interface 340 to an observation module 330.

[0094] Step 850: storing the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module 330.

[0095] Step 855: obtaining design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module 310.

[0096] Step 860: obtaining geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module 320.

[0097] Step 865: obtaining on-site observations for the property from the observation module 330.

[0098] Step 870: designing a sewage installation 100, comprising a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150, which are both optimized for the property based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, using a design engine 350.

[0099] Step 890: generating one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation 100, using a report generator 360.

[0100] This enables the design of a sewage installation that fulfils all rules and regulations for the geographical area, and is optimized for the property in question.

[0101] In embodiments, the design rules stored in the design rule module 310 are design rules in the form of official regulations received from predefined official rule sources 380, as well as design rules based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations, in relation to parameters such as the potential environmental impact of the sewage installation, or a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation.

[0102] In embodiments, the entering 845 of on-site observations comprises entering of information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property.

[0103] In embodiments, the generating 890 of one or more reports comprises generating a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation 100 on the property, where exact positions for digging or installation as well as digging or installation depths or heights are indicated in relation to the absolute reference point on the property.

[0104] In embodiments, the generating 890 of one or more reports comprises generating one or more documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation 100.

[0105] In embodiments, the generating 890 of one or more reports comprises generating one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management for the designed sewage installation 100. Such plans may include parameters such as a risk assessment of the risk of future problems with the sewage installation 100, a classification of the sewage installation 100, the intervals for inspection and / or service, and one or more checklists for inspection and / or service, to be used either by a contractor or for self-monitoring.

[0106] The method 800 may further comprise one or more of:

[0107] Step 820: regularly connecting the hydrogeologic module 320 to at least some of the predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources 390, and automatically extracting updated geological and hydrogeological information from these sources 390.

[0108] Step 825: automatically extracting updated geological and hydrogeological information from these sources 390.

[0109] Step 830: arranging one or more sensors 200 on the property.

[0110] Step 835: transferring on-site measurement data from the one or more sensors 200 to the observation module 330.

[0111] Step 840: determining information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property.

[0112] Step 875: evaluating a number of different combinations of sludge separation arrangements 130 and effluent aerating arrangements 150. Step 880: determining a rating for each of the potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements 130 and effluent aerating arrangements 150 based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions.

[0113] Step 885: selecting the combination of a sludge separation arrangement 130 and an effluent aerating arrangement 150 that receives the best rating as the sewage installation 100 optimized for the property.

[0114] The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention to the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. It is contemplated that various alternate embodiments and / or modifications to the present invention, whether explicitly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the claims. Further, not all of the steps of the claims have to be carried out in the listed order. All technically meaningful orders of the steps are covered by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Sewage installation (100) for a property located in a geographical area, wherein the sewage installation (100) comprises a sludge separation arrangement (130) and an effluent aerating arrangement (150), which have both been selected and dimensioned to be optimized for the property based on: design rules for the geographical area, obtained from a design rule module (310) arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area; geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area, obtained from a hydrogeologic module (320) arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390); and on-site observations for the property, obtained from an observation module (330) arranged to store onsite observations made on the property.

2. Sewage installation (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the effluent aerating arrangement (150) comprises a septic drain field construction with dimensions that are optimized for the property.

3. Sewage installation (100) according to claim 2, wherein the septic drain field construction is a soil infiltration system.

4. Sewage installation (100) according to claim 3, wherein the soil infiltration system is an infiltration bed.

5. Sewage installation (100) according to claim 3, wherein the soil infiltration system is a ground bed comprising an effluent aerating layer (170) that is dimensioned to be optimized for the property.

6. Sewage installation (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising one or more sensors(200) arranged to transfer on-site measurement data to a sewage installation monitoring module (335).

7. System (300) for designing a sewage installation (100) for a property located in a geographical area, the system (300) comprising: a design rule module (310), arranged to store design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area;a hydrogeologic module (320), arranged to store geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390); an observation module (330), arranged to store on-site observations made on the property; a user interface (340) to the observation module (330), through which user interface (340) a user (370) may enter the on-site observations made on the property; a design engine (350), arranged to: obtain design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module (310); obtain geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module (320); obtain on-site observations for the property from the observation module (330); and design a sewage installation (100), comprising a sludge separation arrangement (130) and an effluent aerating arrangement (150), which are both optimized for the property based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations; and a report generator (360), arranged to generate one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation (100).

8. System (300) according to claim 7, wherein the design of the sewage installation (100) based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations comprises evaluating a number of different potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements (130) and effluent aerating arrangements (150), determining a rating for each of the potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements (130) and effluent aerating arrangements (150) based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions, and selecting the combination of a sludge separation arrangement (130) and a effluent aerating arrangement (150) that receives the best rating as the sewage installation (100) optimized for the property.

9. System (300) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the design rule module (310) is arranged to store design rules in the form of official regulations received from predefined official rule sources (380), as well as design rules based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations.

10. System (300) according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein the hydrogeologic module (320) is arranged to regularly connect to at least some of the predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390), and automatically extract updated geological and hydrogeological information from these sources (390).11 . System (300) according to any one of claims 7-10, further comprising one or more sensors (200) arranged on the property, wherein the one or more sensors (200) are arranged to transfer on-site measurement data to the observation module (330).

12. System (300) according to any one of claims 7-11, wherein the on-site observations comprise information about on-site topography.

13. System (300) according to claim 12, wherein the on-site topography in areas of interest on the property is determined in relation to an absolute reference point on the property.

14. System (300) according to claim 13, wherein the report generator (360) is arranged to generate a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation (100) on the property, where exact positions for digging or installation as well as digging or installation depths or heights are indicated in relation to the absolute reference point on the property.

15. System (300) according any one of claims 7-14, wherein the report generator (360) is arranged to generate one or more documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation (100).

16. System (300) according any one of claims 7-15, wherein the report generator (360) is arranged to generate one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management for the designed sewage installation (100).

17. Method (800) for designing a sewage installation (100) for a property located in a geographical area, the method (800) comprising: storing (810) design rules affecting the design of sewage installations for the geographical area in a design rule module (310);storing (815) geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area received and aggregated from a number of predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390) in a hydrogeologic module (320); entering (845) on-site observations made on the property through a user interface (340) to an observation module (330); storing (850) the on-site observations made on the property in the observation module (330); obtaining (855) design rules for the geographical area from the design rule module (310); obtaining (860) geological and hydrogeological information for the geographical area from the hydrogeologic module (320); obtaining (865) on-site observations for the property from the observation module (330); designing (870) a sewage installation (100), comprising a sludge separation arrangement (130) and an effluent aerating arrangement (150), which are both optimized for the property based on the obtained design rules, geological and hydrogeological information, and on-site observations, using a design engine (350); and generating (890) one or more reports describing the designed sewage installation (100), using a report generator (360).

18. Method (800) according to claim 17, wherein the designing (870) of the sewage installation (100) comprises: evaluating (875) a number of different potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements (130) and effluent aerating arrangements (150); determining (880) a rating for each of the potential combinations of sludge separation arrangements (130) and effluent aerating arrangements (150) based on parameters defining how well it fulfils the design rules and how suited it is for the on-site geological and hydrogeological conditions; and selecting (885) the combination of a sludge separation arrangement (130) and a effluent aerating arrangement (150) that receives the best rating as the sewage installation (100) optimized for the property.

19. Method (800) according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the design rules stored in the design rule module (310) are design rules in the form of official regulations received from predefined official rule sources (380), as well as design rules based on recommendations and best practice in the field of sewage installations.

20. Method (800) according to any one of claims 17-19, further comprising regularly connecting (820) the hydrogeologic module (320) to at least some of the predefined official geologic and hydrogeologic sources (390), and automatically extracting (825) updated geological and hydrogeological information from these sources (390).

21. Method (800) according to any one of claims 17-20, further comprising arranging (830) one or more sensors (200) on the property, and transferring (835) on-site measurement data from the one or more sensors (200) to the observation module (330).

22. Method (800) according to any one of claims 17-21, wherein the entering (845) of on-site observations comprises entering of information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property.

23. Method (800) according to claim 22, further comprising determining (840) information about on-site topography in areas of interest on the property in relation to an absolute reference point on the property.

24. Method (800) according to claim 23, wherein the generating (890) of one or more reports comprises generating a detailed description of how to construct and install the designed sewage installation (100) on the property, where exact positions for digging or installation as well as digging or installation depths or heights are indicated in relation to the absolute reference point on the property.

25. Method (800) according to any one of claims 17-24, wherein the generating (890) of one or more reports comprises generating one or more documents needed for applying for a permit for the designed sewage installation (100).

26. Method (800) according to any one of claims 17-25, wherein the generating (890) of one or more reports comprises generating one or more plans for inspection management and / or service management for the designed sewage installation (100).

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