For small communities, resorts, and campgrounds, an opportunity to save thousands of dollars in installation and updating of sewage treatment facilities now exists. By utilizing research done by the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation in conjunction with the Soil Science Department of the University of Minnesota, the United States Forest Service has turned to a peat-over-sand filtration process to eliminate some of the sewage treatment problems at various sites throughout the U.S.

The filter consists of an area of ground varying from 70–90 feet in diameter with a 24–30 inch sand base covered with 8–12 inches of peat. Each filtering system is equipped with irrigation sprinklers to spray effluents over the filtering medium. Federal standards are met with 99+% of phosphates being removed and almost 100% of biochemical oxygen demand (B.O.D.) and coliform bacteria being removed. Nitrogen removed meets or exceeds all guidelines, with the potential of greater nitrogen removal when the peat is implanted with natural gasses.

In relation to present waste treatment methods, the peat-over-sand filtering method, using P.O.L. Sorb, has very low installation, operation and maintenance costs. With over 500 years of known peat resource in existence, any future need to modify, or adapt to other methods of filtration are almost non-existent. P.O.L. Sorb has a guaranteed peat supply for all current and anticipated needs for well over 100 years.

With the size of facility needed for small communities, resorts, campgrounds or rural uses, it will be 15–20 years before the peat would have to be replaced. Even then the peat has not been destroyed, only enriched with nutrients, making it an excellent soil conditioner. This system is entirely natural. It does not use any costly, or potentially dangerous chemicals that in themselves cause pollution problems. Everything is recyclable. P.O.L. Sorb is 100% natural. There are no processing additives.

Experiments with various peat types and different sands have shown that this type of system works well under carefully controlled conditions using automatic overhead sprinklers. Evaluations are being made to research findings to enable this type of filtration process to be applied to larger scale city disposal systems covering several acres. The potential for using P.O.L. Sorb for sewage treatment is tremendous.