The wastewater your home produces is referred to as 'effluent' and consists of blackwater (toilet and garbage disposal waste) and greywater (shower, sink and laundry waste). Effluent flows directly from your household plumbing into a watertight, underground, two compartment septic tank. Solid waste settles into a sludge layer on the bottom and fats float to the top of the first compartment. Between these two scum layers is a zone of clarified liquid effluent which is internally piped to the second compartment of the septic tank for additional settling. As incoming sewage from the house fills first compartment, clarified liquids are forced to leave the second chamber of the septic tank and flow out to the leach field or leach pit. The typical leach field is a series of chambers or rock filled trenches where effluent is further treated as it slowly percolates through the soil.

If allowed by your local building department, it is always best practice to divert household greywater to a separate leaching area. Greywater from washing machine, sinks and showers contains soaps designed to kill bacteria (clean and disinfect things) and thus discourage optimal septic tank function. You want to encourage helpful good bacteria (digesting anaerobic cultures) to grow in your septic tank and organically treat the sewage waste, not kill helpful bacteria with detergent laden graywater. A leach pit is a deeper, larger hole filled with rock for disposing of wastewater in a smaller footprint. Not as effective for sewage treatment as a leach field, where sewage percolates slowly over a larger area. Leach pits are an alternative for smaller properties that do not have room for a leach field and locations without high seasonal ground water. 

Infiltrator IM series septic tank pricing, manuals, design tips, and specification sheets. Plastic septic tanks never rust or crack due to ground heaving. Easily moved around by two people, saving money on crane work. Rent a backhoe and install your own septic system! Our Infiltrator injection molded poly tanks are UPC listed for permit approval ease and dry burial up to four feet deep. Infiltrator® heavy-duty plastic septic tanks have proven far superior to other plastic tank brands and preferrable to concrete septic tanks, especially in the high country.

Many people don't understand that perforated pipe in a gravel bed is NOT the best choice for a long-lasting, durable septic system. Infiltrator® chamber leach field systems are far superior to pipe-in-gravel in every aspect: smaller leach field size due to optimal percolation, increased retention capability for heavy loading days, root infiltration protection for long term viability, resistance to traffic, and more. Infiltrator leach field chambers are high-density polyethylene arches that interlock to form a continuous drainage area with a much greater storage 'surge' volume than conventional pipe-in-gravel leach fields. Chamber fields are commonly given a 30% field size reduction over pipe in gravel. Standard Quick4 'Plus' Infiltrator chambers are 34 inch wide (3 foot trench) by one foot tall by 4 foot long (net length after connecting together). Best practice is to limit trench runs to 12 or 13 chambers (about 50 foot length) requiring two end caps for each row. One should never drive over any leach field, but chambers are rated for 16,000 pounds per axle load, given at least one foot of cover. Drive perpendicular to chambers, as when crossing rail road tracks, never drive down the length of a trench.

Infiltrator chamber system pricing and installation tips & tricks

Septic system site plan design tips and do-it-yourself tricks

"Are we allowed to install this septic system on our property" is not a question we can answer for you. We have been providing much the same passive (non electric) septic system parts for over thirty years now, but we do not follow constantly changing city, county, and state building regulations. Unfortunately, with over 3000 counties in the United States, regulations changing from year-to-year, and interpretations of those rules varying from one inspector to another (and one engineer to the next), it's never possible to say for certain 'what is allowed' locally. We encourage clients to mail copies of their septic system plans for our free review with purchase of a system. The Natural Home is not an engineering firm; we do not provide any engineering services, soil testing or on-site work.

Best practice is to install a 1500 gallon effective net-volume two-compartment septic tank. Even when you are allowed to install a smaller tank, it will save money in the long run by having the septic tank pumped less often and a much smaller chance of eventual bio-mat formation in the leach field. Larger tanks retain effluent for a longer time, allowing solids to settle on the bottom and grease to float to the top. Plus, a larger tank will allow for adding of bedrooms later without the county requiring a larger septic tank. Every county has its own unique regulations with equations and definitions that can change yearly and always are open for interpretation. Slower percolation rates due to poorly draining soil with clay, bedrock, high ground water, proximity to a creek, or other complications require larger leach fields. There are two methods of calculating the minimum absorption area for a leach field. Traditionally, you dig an eight foot deep test inspection hole in the area of the intended leach field to allow building inspector, or your local engineer, to physically examine the soil and determine its Long Term Acceptance Rate. Or you can have a local soil testing firm perform a percolation test to clock the speed of your soil's capacity to absorb liquids. Local building code dictates the equation used to calculate how many square feet of leach field is required based upon the speed of percolation, composition of the soil, and LTAR. The Georgia Co-Op Extension Service's classic conventional septic system manual is recommended reading for understanding the basics of septic systems. A general rule-of-thumb to use when estimating is one square foot of leach field, per gallon of effluent, per day, in normal soils that percolate relatively well.

Save money by renting a backhoe and installing your own plastic septic tank for your home sewage system. Should local code dictate installing a concrete septic tank, have it seal-coated well and try to avoid rectangular vaults. The rounded end, hockey rink shape, is much stronger. Unlike concrete, plastic tanks are not affected by high ground water and saturated soils which will eventually erode concrete, forcing replacement. Plastic has many advantages over concrete in addition to durability in wet locations: consistent quality, portability without a crane truck, and three-way inlet and outlet ports. Polyethylene tanks will never crack and leak and they are easily moved around by two people, saving money on heavy equipment and making difficult locations easier to build. In most of the country, local regulatory officials allow homeowner-builders to submit a site plan and pull their own installation permits. Save money by renting a backhoe and installing your own septic system!

Stamped, engineered, septic system plans are typically not necessary unless your property percolation test was extreme (greater than 60 minutes per inch or less than 5 minutes per inch); or the site has seasonal groundwater; or there is bedrock or unsuitable soil less than four feet below the proposed leach field; or if the ground slope is in excess of 30% in the area of the proposed leach field. Engineered systems require a local professional engineer to approve (stamp) your site's septic tank and leach field plans. Anyone can draw up their own septic system plan, but legal liability then lies exclusively with your regulatory officials and they often defer to a licensed and insured local engineer. This releases the local government from future legal liability for your extreme septic system's failure. What is code in my area? is a uniquely local question and often changes yearly and varies from county to county in some states, so you need to check and see what is required on your property. Please note that we are not an engineering firm and we do not supply stamped, engineered plans, but we do consult for no charge with purchase of any complete septic system. Even professionals with 30 years in the business can get too tied up in 'how we've always done it' to realize simple improvements will make a huge difference in performance and longevity. What follows is a general guide to the average Individual Sewage Disposal System ISDS guidelines (code) in most of the country.

When you apply for your building permit, the local health department official will most likely help you design the sewage disposal system and may even offer to have their office perform a soil test (LTAR) in lieu of a percolation test. This involves digging a soil profile hole which is generally an eight foot deep trench in the area of the leach field. Most building departments wisely require a visual confirmation that there are no problematic soil conditions, groundwater, or bedrock in the area where you intend to put the leach field. But check with your local officials, as you may only need to provide a site plan survey (ILC) of your property (to establish setbacks from buildings, wells, streams, and property lines) and fill out some forms.
Your septic system site plan is typically drawn right on top of your property survey showing the septic tank 'setbacks' with tank 5-10 feet from the house, the leach field at least 20 feet from the house, at least 100 feet away from wells and streams, 25 feet away from dry gulches, and 10 feet away from the property lines. Or whatever the local regulatory officials require, so always check with the county first for minimum setbacks.
The home's sewer line drain pipe needs to slope 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot downhill to the inlet side of the septic tank and the outlet pipe needs to flow downhill at least 1/8 inch per foot downhill to the leach field, where the septic tank effluent enters a manifold or distribution D box. Beyond the manifold or D box the leach field trenches (for an Infiltrator chamber system) are excavated perfectly level at a depth of at least seven inches below the grade of the manifold pipes or D box (for chambers). And covered with at least one foot of soil atop the trench or chamber. Trenches can be deeper, if the site dictates, but rarely more than three feet below finish grade.
If the leach field is uphill from the septic tank a lift station is installed in-line after the septic tank. An electric sump pump in the lift station tank forces effluent out to the leach field every time it fills to a certain level ("dosing"). Most ISDS codes allow field size reductions with dosing or automatic siphons, so there may be a certain advantage to installing a lift station when building on small lots and/or with nearby streams or ponds.
Never grind up (macerate) your sewage before sending to a septic tank unless absolutely necessary. Pumping treated sewage (after septic tank) up to the leach field with lift station is always an option, but do not macerate (pump) effluent prior to the septic tank. The septic tank operates by digesting solids and settling sludge to the bottom and allowing grease to float to the top of the septic tank. Macerating the sewage before entering the septic tank will create a septic tank without any large solids, just a cloud of ground up sewage particles. When you send these particles out to the leach field, you are bound to eventually clog the soil with bio-mat and then the leach field fails.
Avoid using drain cleaner, bleach or harsh detergents with a septic system. Bleach and detergents kill the helpful bacteria that thrives in a healthy septic tank to optimally process toilet waste. Lack of proper septic tank bacteria will cause your leach field to fail from excessive bio-mat accumulation.
If your system is not used enough, the septic tank can be subject to possible freezing in the winter. Steps must be taken to ensure good operation. Not pumping the tank right before winter is a good example: there is very little biological activity (bacteria consuming organics) to keep a clean sewage tank water warm. Always install waterproofing above septic tank to divert water and thus frost at least three feet away. In practice, this amounts to backfilling up to top of tank, sloping the ground away (mound) around perimeter, and then laying down a plastic tarp. If you can keep the water away from the sides of the tank, you can retain more heat in the dry ground and help speed decomposition of waste. A good tip is to set down a layer of straw before the tarp - it will cushion against rock damage and provide insulation. In extreme climates, a layer of two inch thick extruded polystyrene (EPS) foamboard insulation is recommended below the tarp.
If allowed, always divert greywater to a separate leach field. See greywater page for details. Greywater contains soaps, which are designed to kill bacteria (clean and disinfect things). You want to encourage helpful "good" bacteria (digesting anaerobic cultures) to grow in your septic tank, not kill them with soap laden graywater. If you cannot divert all of your greywater, just diverting the washing machine discharge will make a big difference in performance and eliminate a large portion of a home's effluent, taking the load off your leach field.

Check both compartments yearly and pump before enough solids accumulate in first compartment to spill over into second compartment. Usually less than sixteen inches, but consult manufacturer of your tank. Wrap a piece of white towel around the end of a long pole to check solids level in bottom of your septic tank. A healthy, properly sized septic tank might never need pumped, but not pumping when needed will result in grease and solids getting out to the leach field. Particulates, grease and solids create 'biomat' in the leach field percolation area, eventually causing it to fail and need replacement. Every two to five years is the normal cycle for pumping a septic tank. Less often in warmer areas and/or lower usages with larger tank volume. Should you live in an extremely cold climate, never have your tank pumped in the fall or winter - only pump in the spring. Septic tank water only avoids freezing through biological bacterial activity (fecal matter decomposing).

Refill your concrete or fiberglass septic tank with water immediately after having it pumped! Without any water on the inside, an empty septic tank is under extreme stress resisting the weight of backfill around it. This is especially true when soil is wet and when tanks are not properly bedded in plenty of gravelf for selective draining of backfill. Stress is exacerbated when sewage pumpers park too close, so always keep their truck at least 20 feet away. Wet concrete gets weak over the years. With enough stress, an empty concrete or fiberglass tank will crack, start leaking, and eventually have to be replaced.

Never install plastic 'visqueen' sheeting or cheap non-woven 'weed barrier' landscaping fabric in place of professional grade heavy-duty woven geotextile fabric for septic system leach fields. Besides issues with longevity, visquene plastic sheeting or cheap weed barrier non-woven materials will suffocate the soil, ultimately causing anaerobic soil conditions, biomat formation, root rot, and molding issues. Plastic sheeting becomes brittle and tears within a few years and the adhesive bond holding non-woven weed-barrier fabric threads together decomposes, allowing sand and soil to migrate into the gravel layer of leach field or French drain. Invest in our professional grade woven geotextile fabric with a full 35 mil thickness and extra heavy-duty five ounce per square yard weight and 12 gallons per square foot per minute water permeability. Our vastly superior polypropylene fabric will never rot, working indefinitely when not exposed to sunlight. Longevity and durability is ensured with heavy-duty weight and tough woven construction. Non-woven weed barrier fabrics tend to fall apart over time.

Drywell leach pit kits are best practice for additions and repairs on pipe-in-gravel leach fields. Not venting the end of each leach field lateral line (finger) is the most common cause of leach field failure. Lack of fresh air in the leach field pipes and surrounding gravel creates anaerobic conditions, accelerating bio-mat formation. Best practice is to install at least one drywell at the end of each lateral line finger. An upgrade for longevity is two drywells installed in-series which allows the first to act as a settling catchment, ensuring long-term viability of a failing sewage disposal system by keeping the perforated pipes lines dry most of the time. Drywell system cut sheet with gravel installation detail is available for engineers.

There is no 'Miracle Enzyme Cure' or hole punching scheme that will work for any length of time. Please don't believe those ads for "all natural, biodegradable, septic safe" leach field cleaners. May buy you a couple of months, but at the risk of contaminating your groundwater. Septic waste 'digesters' are not sold here. And schemes to punch holes in your yard to cure the problem are just hustles. You have to flush the biomat out of leach field pipes before any treatment.

Hire a professional to flush out leach field lines FIRST (power jetting) prior to treatment. The first time, it requires an industrial strength pressure washer equipped with rotating root cutting blades to clear the entire four inch leach field drain pipe. There is a lot of work to do before the line jetter shows up. Septic system flushing involves hazardous human waste. Wear disposable protective clothes with full head/mouth covering, face shield and/or goggles, protected sleeves and gloves. There must be a cleanout at the start of each lateral line and another at the end. A large pit at least 2by2by3 feet deep is excavated at the end of each leach field pipe to accept the flushed out bio-mat and roots. You accomplish nothing by jetting and allowing the bio-mat to remain inside of the lateral line perforated pipes.

Peroxide treatment is best left to professionals. Hydrogen peroxide is caustic and will BURN exposed eyes and skin. Home healthcare hydrogen peroxide is around 3% with pool chemical supply stores selling barrels of 30% strength up to 50%. HazMat Placards must be posted in your front and rear window. We do not sell hydrogen peroxide. 

After jetting and flushing, cap both ends and CAREFULLY pour in the industrial strength hydrogen peroxide. The expense of trying to completely fill perforated pipe with hydrogen peroxide is likely not cost-effective, but invest in enough to fill the pipe at least 1/4 to 1/3 full. Per 100 lineal feet of 4 inch diameter pipe, it takes 16 gallons to fill almost 1/4 full and 20 gallons to fill 1/3 full. Plumb cleanout with a tee fitting and gasketed garden hose adapter (3/4 inch MNPT to 3/4 MGHT). Give peroxide at least a few hours to start working on the bio-mat and then pressurize the line with water for best effect. Allow line to drain and then jet and flush again to attempt to get more bio-mat out of your lines. Lacking power jetting head for four inch pipe, you can do a passable job with a high pressure sprayer equipped with disruptor head (full circle shower spray). 

You have to examine why the system failed in the first place. The most common reasons are: single compartment septic tank, no septic particulate filter, under-sized leach field, and lack of leach field ventilation. Oxygen is very important for leach field health. A drywell with surface vent at the end of lateral lines is an instant fix. Greatly increases capacity and dries out the lateral lines. Taking the load off your failing leach field is crucial to any repair.

One drywell kit provides an initial surge capacity of 48+ gallons before it starts percolating into surrounding soil. That is the same effective surge capacity as 74 lineal feet of four inch diameter sewer pipe. Gravel backfill around and under the drywells will increase the capacity of your leaching pit and extend the serviceable life expectancy. A single drywell with at least one foot of gravel under and around it (absolute bare minimum) will dispose of 200+ gallons per day in most soils, but you cannot have too large of a leaching pit. The more gravel under and around the drywell, the better for longevity.

Sample installation shown with TWO DRYWELLS in series and bringing effluent in through the lid. Top loading through the vent tee ensures maximum surge capacity. Freezing is rarely, if ever, a problem with running sewage water underground, but you can always cap the vent in deep winter, if need be. We provide all of the fittings pictured with your kit (4 inch sanitary tee, riser, coupler, and green vent grate). Plus, a 6by6 foot piece of geotextile fabric for above the gravel layer to keep backfill soil from clogging the surrounding leach pit rock. Additional fabric can be purchased above for leach pit sides. Fabric on the sides is highly recommended in sandy or silty soils or areas of high seasonal groundwater. Never place geofabric on the bottom side of a septic leach pit, only the sides and top of gravel. Drywell system cut sheet with gravel installation detail is available for engineers.

Sewage disposal septic systems are commonly designed as gravel-filled leach pits with drywell(s) on smaller properties. Drywell system cut sheet with gravel installation detail is available for engineers. Leach pits disturb much less surface area than a leach field of perforated four inch diameter sewer pipe in a shallow gravel bed. Seasonal groundwater must not be a local issue when designing deeper leach pits. Please note two critical design errors in the second sketch... 1) Never install bends in the four inch diameter sewer pipe before the septic tank. Bends after the tank are fine since the water has been filtered of solids, but you don't want to clog the line coming into the tank. 2) always install a cleanout in the sewer pipe immediately after it leaves the home foundation. Should that line clog or freeze, you need a means to access it. Maintain 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot drop from house to inlet side of septic tank. Any steeper, and water might flow too fast and pass right around toilet waste. From the outlet side of septic tank, effluent can flow downhill at a much steeper angle. Always 'bed' all pipe and tank well, in plenty of gravel. A 6-8 inch layer or 3/4 to 1 inch diameter aggregate is recommended. Gravel ensures accurate pipe slope in trenches since this size crushed rock only compacts about 3% to 5% later. Bedding pipe prevents dips and flat spots where sewage might collect. In a cold climate, it is critical to avoid allowing sodden soil (frost) from touching your pipe and tank. Even in a warm climate, septic tanks are able to maintain healthy bacteria levels and 'digest' sewage more readily when warm. Bedding a septic tank in gravel can make all the difference between having your tank pumped every three years to maybe once every five or six years.