Standard and Engineered Septic Systems - GL Ferrari Excavation inc.

Standard and Engineered Septic Systems

A septic system is the most common type of wastewater
treatment system option for a rural home site. Several
factors determine whether a standard septic system is
sufficient or if it must be engineered:

Soil permeability - determined by percolation test
Obstructions such as rocks or trees
Size of the lot
Slope of the lot
Depth of high water table
Depth of topsoil
Distance to waterways - creeks, rivers, etc.

Cost of Septic Systems
(General comparison - your cost could be higher or lower)
The cost of a standard system is less than an
engineered system (standard systems run between
$3,500 and $8,500, while Engineered systems range
from $8,000 to $30,000 or more!), although situations
where a standard system is not suitable the cost may
be less a consideration than being unable to build on
your property.

Septic system site location
It is important to choose the septic system site prior to
building the home and utilities, this may seem
backwards but it can save a lot of headaches later on.
Consult local guidelines and/or General Engineering
Contractor to determine the proper system for your site.

Types of alternative septic systems
There are a number of alternative systems available
today for those situations where a standard gravity fed
tank and leach field are unsuitable. These systems
include:

Mound systems
Sand/Peat
Aerobic Systems
Chambered Systems
Drip Emitter System

Pros and cons
Engineered On site Wastewater Treatment Systems
(OWTS) use electricity, have pumps, and other
electronic components and need more maintenance
than a standard gravity fed system.

On the other hand engineered "alternative" or
"unconventional" systems are environmentally
beneficial in that they break down solids more
completely than conventional systems.

Standard vs. Engineered systems