More than one in five households in the United States depend on individual onsite or small community cluster systems (septic systems) to treat their wastewater. These systems are used to treat and dispose of relatively small volumes of wastewater, usually from houses and businesses located in suburban and rural locations not served by a centralized public sewer system.
Septic systems treat wastewater from household plumbing fixtures (toilet, shower, laundry, etc.) through both natural and technological processes, typically beginning with solids settling in a septic tank, and ending with wastewater treatment in the soil via the drain field.
The various types of decentralized wastewater treatment, if properly executed, can protect public health, preserve valuable water resources, and maintain economic vitality in a community. To learn more about septic systems and its benefits from the EPA, click the link below.
If you choose to discontinue the use of your septic system and connect to the municipal sewer, hire a licensed plumbing contractor to assure proper decommissioning methods are followed. This will help ensure that our health, safety and environment is protected.
Septic tanks are full of untreated wastewater that is loaded with contaminants including bacteria, viruses, parasites and nitrates which can cause diseases or other health or environmental problems. If abandoned and not properly decommissioned, wastewater will eventually leak out, contaminating the soil, groundwater and polluting local watercourses. Lastly, this can lead to the collapse or cave in of the tank.
By hiring our professionals at Earthworks Environmental, you are ensuring peace-of mind that your health and safety is protected.
Converting your home from a septic system to a municipal sewer system is theoretically a very straightforward process. A licensed contractor, digs up the waste pipe between the house and septic tank, intercepts and re-routes to the sewer main taking the path of least resistance. Most cities do not require you to tie into public sewer, and if you have a newer septic system It might be better to just wait.
The biggest advantages of sewer vs. septic is that It increases a home's value. New buyers often use this as leverage against a seller when a house is on septic but sewer is available. Another benefit being that some cities ARE NOT septic friendly and often will not permit repairs to septic systems when sewer is available. In addition, some cities WILL NOT permit pools, room additions, or remodeling when on septic if sewer is available.
The Process:
When wastewater disposal systems are abandoned, a septic tank must have the sewage removed by a licensed septic tank pumper, and must be crushed in place or completely filled with compacted soil, concrete, or other approved material, as required by the EPA. Depending on specific site conditions, disinfection may also be required.
A buried, watertight tank designated and constructed to receive and partially treat raw domestic sanitary wastewater. Heavy solids settle to the bottom of the tank while greases and lighter solids float to the top. The solids stay in the tank while the wastewater is discharged to the drain-field for further treatment and dispersal.
A decentralized wastewater treatment system consisting of a septic tank and a trench or bed subsurface wastewater infiltration system (drain field). A conventional septic system is typically installed at a single-family home or small business.
This type of system consists of a series of connected chambers. The area around and above the chambers is filled with soil. Pipes carry wastewater from the septic tank to the chambers. In the chambers, the wastewater comes into contact with the soil. Microbes on or near the soil treat the effluent.
The drip distribution system is a type of effluent dispersal that can be used in many types of drainfields. The main advantage of the drip distribution system is that no large mound of soil is needed as the drip laterals are inserted into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil. The disadvantage of the drip distribution system is that it requires a large dose tank after the septic tank to accommodate the timed dose delivery of wastewater to the drip absorption area.
Mound systems are an option in areas of shallow soil depth, high groundwater, or shallow bedrock. The constructed sand mound contains a drainfield trench. Effluent from the septic tank flows to a pump chamber where it is pumped to the mound in prescribed doses. Treatment of the effluent occurs as it discharges to the trench and filters through the sand, and then disperses into the native soil.
A decentralized wastewater treatment system under some form of common ownership that collects wastewater from two or more dwellings or buildings and conveys it to a treatment and dispersal system located on a suitable site near the dwellings or buildings. It is common to find cluster systems in places like rural subdivisions.
The sand filter is often PVC-lined or a concrete box filled with a sand material. Effluent is pumped under low pressure through the pipes at the top of the filter. The effluent leaves the pipes and is treated as it filters through the sand. The treated wastewater is then discharged to the drain field.
An aerobic system injects oxygen into the treatment tank. The additional oxygen increases natural bacterial activity within the system that then provides additional treatment for nutrients in the effluent. Some aerobic systems may also have a pretreatment tank and a final treatment tank including disinfection to further reduce pathogen levels.
Evapotranspiration systems have unique drain fields. The base of the evapotranspiration system drain field is lined with a watertight material. After the effluent enters the drain field, it evaporates into the air. Unlike other septic system designs, the effluent never filters to the soil and never reaches groundwater.
Maintaining your septic system saves you money. Regular maintenance fees of $250 to $500 every three to five years is a bargain compared to the cost of repairing or replacing a malfunctioning system, which can cost between $3,000 and $7,000 for a conventional system. Alternative systems can cost even more. The frequency of pumping required for each system depends on how many people live in the home and the size of the system.
Protects your Property Value
An unusable septic system or one in disrepair will lower your property value, and potentially can pose a costly legal liability.
Keeps you and your neighbors healthy
Household wastewater contains disease causing bacteria and viruses and high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. If a septic system is well-maintained and working properly, it will remove most of these pollutants. Insufficiently treated sewage from septic systems can cause groundwater contamination, which can spread disease in humans and animals. Improperly treated sewage poses the risk of contaminating nearby surface waters threatening swimmers with various infectious diseases, from eye and ear infections to acute gastrointestinal illness and hepatitis.
Protects the environment
More than four billion gallons of wastewater are dispersed below the ground’s surface every day. Ground water contaminated by poorly or untreated household wastewater poses dangers to drinking water and to the environment. Malfunctioning septic systems release bacteria, viruses, and chemicals toxic to local waterways. When these pollutants are released into the ground, they eventually enter streams, rivers, lakes, and more, harming local ecosystems by killing native plants, fish, and shellfish. Learn more about how septic systems can help support greener, more sustainable communities.
Inspect and pump frequently
The average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service professional. Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years. Alternative systems with electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components should be inspected more often, generally once a year. A service contract is important since alternative systems have mechanized parts.
Use water efficiently
The average indoor water use in a typical single-family home is nearly 70 gallons per individual, per day. Just a single leaky or running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day.
All of the water a household sends down its pipes winds up in its septic system. The more water a household conserves, the less water enters the septic system. Efficient water use improves the operation of a septic system and reduces the risk of failure.
Properly dispose of waste
Whether you flush it down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down the sink, shower, or bath, everything that goes down your drains ends up in your septic system. What goes down the drain affects how well your septic system works.
Maintain your drain field
Your drain field—a component of your septic system that removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank—is an important part of your septic system.
Most septic systems fail because of inappropriate design or poor maintenance. Some soil-based systems (those with a drain field) are installed at sites with inadequate or inappropriate soils, excessive slopes, or high ground water tables. These conditions can cause hydraulic failures and contamination to nearby water sources.
Contact a local septic system service provider, your local health department, or onsite wastewater treatment regulatory agency. Find the telephone number for your local health department online or in your local phone directory.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.