1. What is a septic system?

Septic systems are also simple in design, which make them generally less expensive to install and maintain. And by using natural processes to treat the wastewater onsite, usually in a homeowner's backyard, septic systems don't require the installation of miles of sewer lines, making them less disruptive to the environment.

NOTE: In 1998, septic systems regulations were put into the "Building Code of Ontario(OBC) which is administered by local municipalities. You need prior approval from your local municipality before you can undertake any septic system construction.

 

     A. Conventional Septic System:

• Absorption Trench systems
      Most widely used traditional system
• Filter Bed
     

• Waterloo Biofilter
      -waterloo BIofilter Systems Inc.
• Ecoflow
  

      -Premier Tech Environment

      -Ecoflow ontario

• MicroFast
      -Pinnacle Environmental Technologies Inc.
• Norweco
      -Norwalk Wastewater Equipment Company Systems Inc.
• Holding Tank
  -Some on-site systems are designed only to store wastewater, which is then pumped from the tank and trucked off-site for treatment. Often used where septic systems cannot be accommodated these holding tank systems depend on an alarm to warn when nearly full and usually require an on-going contract with a pumping service
  

     C. Septic Tank:

• Brooklin Concrete
• Newmarket Precast

     D. Pumps:

• Effluent Filter Bed: a filter, installed at the outlet of septic tank. This filter dramatically improves the quality of effluent discharged to the leaching bed.
• Chambered Septic systems:The chambered system is a replacement for the conventional stone and pipe leaching bed. The chambers containing the distribution pipes are installed in 0.5 - 0.9 metre wide trenches. The pipes are not pressurized. Approximately the same length of trench is used as with the pipe system, only there is no crushed stone layer.
  

3. Engineering services for a septic system

Our engineering services for on-site sewage systems include the following:

• field topographic survey and subsurface soil investigation of property
• laboratory analyses of soil samples to assess percolation rates (Unified Soil Classification System)
• preparation of detailed AutoCAD design drawings (includes site & grading plan, septic systems details, septic specifications & notes)
• completion of a permit application for Municipalities (i.e. Town or City)
• site inspections at the time of construction to certify installation
  

• investigations & evaluations of existing sewage systems
• consultation of the use of a tertiary treatment system in place of a conventional septic tank system
• investigations to provide subsurface conditions & percolation rates
• laboratory analyses of delivered soil samples to provide an estimated range of percolation rates (‘T’ time)
  
  

Make efforts to minimize the amount of water that goes into the onsite sewage system; typical water use is about 227 liters (50 gallons) per day for each person. Try not to exceed that amount. Having a water meter installed will help you monitor your water use.

Systems are designed to handle domestic wastewater. Things that do not break down easily (facial tissue, large amounts of vegetable scrapings, coffee grounds, chemicals, paints, oils, sanitary napkins, applicators, condoms, medicines, pesticides, poisons, strong disinfectants, etc.) can damage a system or substantially increase the need for cleaning the septic tank.

• Restrict the use of in-sink garbage disposals. They add a large amount of organic and inorganic material to your sewage, which may exceed your system's capacity and cause it to fail.
• Do not pour grease or cooking oil down the drain (including toilet). Grease and oil is hard to break down. It will eventually move into the soil, plugging it off.
• Keep your fixtures in good repair. A slow-running toilet can add large amounts of water.
  A running toilet discharging ¼ gallon per minute will result in 360 gallons per day. This is more water than a sewage system for a 3-bedroom home is designed for. To test the toilet, put a few drops of food colouring in the toilet tank. If it shows up in the bowl, it is leaking. It may take as long as an hour for colour to show in bowl.
  

Tips for Maintaining Your Onsite Sewage System

• Wastewaters not included in the system's design should not be put into the system. This may include wastewater from:
  - foundation weeping tile drains,
  - a hot tub, spa or hydro massage bath exceeding a 2-person capacity,
  - a swimming pool,
  - an iron filter,
  - water conditioning equipment that generates excessive amounts of wastewater.
• Have a diagram showing the location of your septic tank and disposal field.
• If not already in place, install watertight manhole extensions to simplify septic tank access.
• Make sure the access lids are structurally sound, secure and childproof.
• If access lids are buried, consider raising them above grade to facilitate access.
• Have the septic tank checked annually to determine how often the tank needs to be pumped out. (typically tanks are pumped out by a vacuum truck approximately every two years)
• If pumps are used in the system, have any pump screens cleaned (make sure they are re-installed) and have the control operations checked.
• Maintain adequate vegetative cover over the disposal field. Keep the grass trimmed.
• Direct eavestrough downspouts, and other surface water flows away from the septic tank and disposal field.
• Systems are installed near the surface - keep automobiles and heavy equipment off the system. The piping and septic tanks can be damaged by heavy traffic, and the traffic will compact the ground reducing its ability to absorb sewage effluent. In winter, traffic (even from snowmobile paths) will drive frost into the system causing it to freeze.

Since the septic tank is such an essential part of a sewage system, here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.

• A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
• If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
• Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
• Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
• Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
• Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
• If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
• Use a good quality toilet tissue that breaks up easily when wet. One way to find out is to put a hand full of toilet tissue in a fruit jar half full of water. Shake the jar and if the tissue breaks up easily, the product is suitable for the septic tank. High wet-strength tissues are not suitable. As long as the tissue breaks up easily, color has no effect on the septic tank. Many scented toilet tissues have high wet strength.
• Clean your septic tank every one to three years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
  Here is a word of caution: Never go down into a septic tank. The gases present may poison or asphyxiate you. Only trained professionals should enter a septic tank or any other confined space.
• To properly clean a septic tank, the manhole cover or the tank cover must be removed. This is the only way to be sure that all the solids have been pumped out. A septic tank cannot be cleaned adequately by pumping out liquids through a 4-inch inspection pipe. Doing so often results in some of the scum layer plugging the outlet baffle when the tank refills with sewage. Be sure that the tank is opened when it is cleaned. At this time the baffles should be inspected and replaced if necessary.
• Recharge wastes from a properly operating water softener will not harm septic tank action, but the additional water must be treated and disposed of by the drainfield. If the softener recharge overloads the sewage system, this waste water can be discharged to the ground surface since it contains no pathogens. But it must be discharged in a location where it will not be a nuisance or damage valuable grass or plants.
• Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
  Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
• Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
• Installing a water meter is a sure way to know how much water you are using and how much the water use will be reduced by doing certain things. A water meter for a home should cost from $50 to $100 plus installation.
• The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use five to six gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's seven gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a one-gallon toilet rather than a five gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, one-gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewage treatment system.
• With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day.
• Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.
• Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
  There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
  Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for many years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids build up. Septic tanks need tender, loving care, too!