Patent ID: 7341670

Claim:
A method for treating excess wastewater from a sewer system, the method comprising: receiving the excess wastewater from the sewer system in a generally vertically oriented first shaft structure; allowing the wastewater to flow generally in a first direction through the first shaft structure, then through a connector passage in fluid communication with the first shaft structure, and then generally in a second direction through a generally vertically oriented second shaft structure spaced away from the first shaft structure after flowing from the connector passage, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction; introducing a treating agent into the wastewater so as to sufficiently disinfect at least a portion of the wastewater; and allowing a portion of the wastewater to flow from the second shaft structure to an effluent passage in fluid communication with the second shaft structure after the step of introducing the treating agent; wherein flow time through the shaft structures is greater than flow time through the connector passage.