The Bio Safe One septic system is an efficient, long-standing technique for gathering, treating, and discarding of sewer from rural and suburban houses and companies. Septic systems are used in every region in New York. Nearly 50 percent of the state’s homes have them. This reality sheet will solve some common questions about septic techniques and their servicing.
Why Use a Septic System?
Bio Safe One Septic systems are used when central sewage therapy plants are not available in a community. They securely treat and remove of wastewaters created in the bathroom, kitchen, and washing laundry. These wastewaters may consist of disease-causing germs and contaminants that must be handled to protect the personal health and the atmosphere. Septic systems are generally a long lasting solution to wastewater procedure and disposal. For that reason, they must be successfully used, managed, and retained by the home owner to assure the long-term performance of these systems. Even when used as a short-term wastewater procedure solution until sewer lines are extended to a community, special care and servicing are required for septic systems so that they don’t pose a risk to public health or the environment.
What Is a Septic System?
Several various kinds of septic systems are accessible, each with its own design. The traditional, conventional system is the one that has been most commonly used in New York up until the past several years. It consists of three primary parts: the septic tank, the drain field, and the soil below the drain field.
The septic tank is a watertight package about 9 feet long and 5 feet tall. It is buried in the ground just external the home. The tank is usually pre cast from strengthened concrete, although tanks made from plastic or fiberglass may be seen on the event. While a tank is typically designed with a 1,000-gallon liquid potential, its size is legally determined by the number of rooms in the home. The tank temporarily holds household wastes and allows a small amount of pretreatment to take place.
What Takes Place in the Septic Tank?
All of the wastewaters from the house should flow into the septic tank. Even waters from the bath, bathtub, and washing machine can contain disease-causing germs or environmental contaminants. As wastewater flows into the tank, the heavier strong materials settle to the bottom (forming a sludge layer), and the less heavy greases and fats float to the top (forming a scum layer). The tank’s main purpose is to retain the solids. After a preservation time of about two days, the liquid portion (the sewage effluent) flows out of the tank through the store pipe. The retention time is essential for separation of the solids from the liquid and for anaerobic digestion of the shades to begin in the septic tank.
An outlet baffle (or a sanitary tee at the outlet end) stops shades from flowing out with the fluids. Newer septic systems set up since 1999, however, consist of an effluent filter in the septic tank. These are installed in place of the hygienic tee at the outlet end of the septic tank.
What Happens in the Drain field and the Soil?
The purpose of the drain field is to deliver the liquid sewage effluent to the soil. The real treatment of the wastewater occurs in the soil beneath the drain field. Sewage effluent flows out of the tank as a cloudy liquid that still contains many disease-causing germs and environmental pollutants. Effluent flows into the perforated pipe in the trenches, passes through the holes in the pipe, and then trickles down through the gravel to the soil. There are also “gravel-less” trenches used where plastic louvered chambers, polystyrene aggregate, tire chip aggregate, or large diameter pipes are used in place of the gravel aggregate. These materials provide a void space in the trench to allow distribution of the effluent to the trench bottom. As sewage effluent enters and flows through the ground, soil particles filter out many of the bacteria that can cause diseases. The soil absorbs some of the smaller gems, such as viruses, until they are destroyed. The soil can also retain certain chemicals, including phosphorus and some forms of nitrogen.
A special zone, called a bio mat, forms in the upper 1 to 6 inches of the soil at the soil/trench interface just below the trench bottom. This bio mat zone is useful. It helps remove many of the germs and chemical pollutants. If the solids accumulating in the septic tank are never pumped out, however, they can flow into the trenches and accumulate into an intensive bio mat that becomes too thick. When that happens, the bio mat completely clogs the soil and does not allow the sewage effluent to flow out of the trench. An improperly maintained system will fail and cause untreated sewage to completely fill the trenches and come out on top of the ground or back up into the home in its plumbing system.
Where Can a Septic System Be Used?
A centralized sewer system with a large sewage treatment plant usually discharges treated wastewater into a body of water. On the other hand, a septic system depends on the soil around the home to treat and dispose of sewage effluent (Figure 3). For this reason, a septic system can be used only on soils that will adequately absorb and purify the effluent. If a septic system is installed in soil that cannot do so, the effluent will seep out onto the soil surface overlying the drain field or back up into the home. In addition to causing an unpleasant smell, this untreated sewage can pose health problems.
In some cases where the soils do not adequately absorb the wastewater, the toilets and sinks might not drain freely. If the soil can absorb the effluent, but not treat it, or if the trenches are installed directly into groundwater or bedrock, the sewage may contaminate the groundwater. Because the underlying groundwater serves as the source of drinking water for your well or possibly your neighbors’ wells (Figure 3), it is very important that the system is installed in the proper soil conditions and that the septic system is correctly used, operated, and maintained.
What Kinds of Soil Conditions Are Best Suited to a Conventional Septic System?
Gently sloping, thick, permeable soils with deep water tables make the best sites for the traditional, conventional septic system and simple modifications of it. The soil should be a uniform brown, yellow, or bright red color. It should not have spots of gray colors that often indicate the soil becomes excessively wet or that groundwater comes up close to the ground surface during the wet times of the year. The soil texture should be neither too sandy nor too clayey, and it should have good aggregation, or structure (that is, a handful of the soil should easily break apart into small aggregates).
Areas that are unsuitable for conventional septic systems have rock close to the surface, very sticky clays, soil layers that restrict the downward flow of water, or areas with shallow groundwater. These factors would prevent a conventional septic system from working properly.
What About Other Types of On-Site Systems That Are Alternatives to the Conventional System?
Other types of on-site systems are sometimes used on sites where the soil is not suited to a conventional system. Where soils are too wet or too shallow for the conventional system, the drain field might be placed very close to the ground surface in the upper layers of the soil. In some wet soils, artificial drainage around the septic system lowers the level of the shallow water table. On some clayey soils that have a thick sandy surface, the low-pressure pipe (LPP) system provides an alternative.
On some soils that are not deep enough to provide adequate treatment of the sewage effluent, it may be possible to use an advanced pretreatment unit to supplement the soil’s treatment capacity. Examples are fixed media biofilters such as a sand filter, peat filter, textile filter, or porous foam biofilter or mechanical aerobic treatment units that bubble air into the sewage itself. Most of these pretreatment units are installed between the septic tank and drain field. They provide better purification of the wastewater than is provided by the traditional septic tank alone. Some sites may need more sophisticated methods of distributing the sewage effluent within the drain field itself using a pressure manifold, LPP, or drip irrigation system. These systems use pumps, special controls, and specially designed pipe networks that can improve the wastewater treatment in the soil. In other situations, it may be cost effective to collect the wastewater from several homes in an area or subdivision by using a cluster system. This type of system has a drain field located in a common area within the best-suited soils in the tract of land. These newer and more sophisticated types of onsite system options can often provide a better wastewater treatment solution for a particular building lot or a tract of land, then either the traditional, conventional septic tank system or large-scale, centralized public sewers.
How Do I Know if My Site Is Suitable for a Septic System?
New York has more than 400 different kinds of soil, and a 1-acre lot can contain several different soil types. Because many of these soils are unsuitable for conventional septic systems and even unsuitable for more advanced or alternative onsite systems, you should always obtain an improvement permit (I.P.) before purchasing a lot that you intend to build on. You will submit an application and a site plan to the county health department. The environmental health specialist (sanitarian) will conduct a comprehensive soil and site evaluation and either issue or deny the permit. If an I.P. can be issued, you will also need to obtain a construction authorization (C.A.) before a building permit can be issued.
If you are interested in developing a tract of land to subdivide, you should hire a licensed soil scientist to conduct preliminary evaluations and advise you on the location of suitable soils and lot configuration. You can obtain additional information from the Cooperative Extension publication AG-439-12, Investigate before You Invest.
How Large Is a Typical Drain field?
Usually, the drain field for a home can fit within the front yard or the backyard of a typical 1-acre home site. Sometimes smaller lots can be used. The precise area requirements will depend upon the kinds of soils at the home site, the size of the house (the number of bedrooms), the topography of the lot, and the type of on-site system used there. A site with clayey, slowly permeable soils need a larger drain field to absorb the sewage effluent than does a site with sandy, permeable soils. A home with five bedrooms will need a larger tank and drain field area than a home with three bedrooms. A rental property at the beach may require a larger drain field than a similar-sized permanent residence with the same number of bedrooms. A home using one of the newer, more advanced types of on-site technologies may be able to use a smaller area for the drain field than if a conventional septic system is installed. The adequate land area must be available to achieve adequate setback distances from any nearby wells, springs, streams, lakes, or other bodies of water located either on the lot or off-site.
There also must be enough area to install a second system, called a replacement system, in case it is ever needed. This replacement area (sometimes called a repair area) also must have acceptable soil and site conditions and must be left undisturbed and available for system replacement. Be aware that the type of on-site system required for use in the repair area could be a completely different, more sophisticated type of on-site system. Hence, if that repaired area is ever needed, you might have to install a more expensive system than the original system installed when the lot was first developed.
What Legal Requirements Regulate Septic Systems?
State law requires that soils be evaluated by the local health department and that an I.P. and a C.A. be issued before house construction begins or the septic system is installed. The I.P. allows the site to be used, while the C.A. determines what type of system must be installed. Sometimes these are issued at the same time by the health department. An I.P. is good only for five years unless it is renewed or unless it is issued under special conditions for a lot that has been professionally surveyed. If a permanent I.P. is issued, then you have some limited guarantee that the lot can be used (even if the state rules change), assuming that the conditions on the lot or the intended use don’t change. Nevertheless, the type of system that will be required as well as the home size and the location is not assured until the C.A. is issued. Contact your local health department to be sure that you follow the correct procedures and that you are fully aware of the limitations that will protect your investment. Also, the installation must be approved by the health department and an operation permit (O.P.) must be issued by the health department before electrical service can be permanently connected to the home and the septic system put into use.
Once the home has been occupied and the system put into use, you will need to contact the county health department if you plan to add on to the home, install a pool, build an outbuilding, or engage in activity that requires a building permit. First, obtain an authorization from the county health department to make sure that the septic system and repair area remain intact and are properly sized for the proposal.
What Maintenance Is Needed?
Bio Safe One Both the septic tank and the drain field must be properly maintained for the standard conventional septic system. With conscientious maintenance, the system should work correctly for many years. Such maintenance begins with water use and waste disposal habits. Your family will determine which materials enter the system, so you should establish family rules for proper use and maintenance. The suggestions outlined in the box will save you anguish and money when applied to most conventional systems.
If your system has an effluent filter, it will need checking and servicing approximately every 2 to 3 years. While this could be done by a homeowner, it is a messy, unpleasant task and there are potential safety issues because of the germs in the sewage and toxic gases. For most people, it would be appropriate to hire a company that specializes in septic system maintenance and service to inspect and clean the effluent filter.
Special types of pretreatment units and drain field distribution technologies also must be carefully maintained for the more advanced, newer technologies described earlier. These newer technologies will be more expensive to operate and maintain than the traditional, conventional septic system. Most advanced onsite and cluster wastewater treatment systems require regular inspections and professional maintenance. Research conducted in North Carolina has shown that about 40 to 50 percent of the advanced systems will fail within 6 years if this maintenance is not provided. Therefore, in North Carolina, a professionally trained, state-certified “sub surface system operator” hired by the homeowner is required by the O.P. to provide the needed inspections and maintenance for advanced technologies. For more information about these requirements, contact your local health department or the state Water Pollution Control Systems Operator Certification Commission.
Note, however, that individual homeowners are allowed to take the same training programs and state licensing exam as the professional operators. If they pass the exam, they can operate their own system by themselves. Because this generally is not done, most homeowners will have to pay for this service if they have one of these more advanced technologies.
Regardless of whether an expert operator is hired, it is the homeowner's responsibility to assure proper use, examination, operation, and servicing of any type of on-site wastewater system.
Tips for Retaining Your Septic System
- Do not put too much water into the septic system; typical water use is about 50 gallons per day for each person in the family.
- Do not add elements (chemicals, sanitary napkins, applicators, and so on) other than family wastewater.
- Restrict the use of your rubbish disposal.
- Do not add grease or food oils down the sink drain.
- Make a diagram displaying the place of your tank, drain field, and maintenance area.
- Install a water tight riser over the septic tank to make simpler access.
- Have the effluent filter in the septic tank cleaned regularly by a professional?
- Have the solids pumped out of the septic tank regularly?
- Maintain sufficient vegetative cover over the drain field.
- Keep surface waters away from the tank and drain field.
- Keep vehicles and heavy equipment off the system.
- Do not plan any developing additions, pools, driveways, or other construction work near the septic system or the maintenance area.
Size of Septic Tank
