Hidden Plumbing Problems: What to Look for

Main Considerations For Septic Tank System Installation

20 January 2021

Herbert Chambers

One of the important things you'll need to think about before beginning construction on your new residential building is how you'll dispose of the wastewater and sewage from the property. If your construction site is located in an area without access to the municipal sewer service, you'll need to build a private sewage disposal system, commonly known as a septic tank system. 

A septic tank system installation is not easy. It requires careful planning and forethought to do properly. Here are some important things to consider before you embark on the project.

Septic Tank System Design

All septic systems are made up of two main elements—a septic tank and a drain field. The tank collects all the wastewater that leaves your home and breaks it down into scum, sludge, and effluent. Scum and sludge remain in the tank and are pumped out as part of routine septic tank maintenance. Effluent, on the other hand, is discharged into the drain field where it is treated and leached into the soil.

Before installing a septic system, you should think about how the wastewater collected in your septic tank will move to the leaching field. The most common septic system designs include gravity, pressure, and aerobic systems. The right design depends on the slope of your landscape and the soil conditions on-site.

For example, gravity systems work great on steep-sloped sites, as septic tanks can be placed on a higher plane than the leaching field so that effluent can flow from the tank to the drain field without problems. Pressure systems are ideal for sites with a flat slope. Here, a water pump rather than gravity is used to distribute treated wastewater over the entire leaching field.

The soil conditions on your site impact how well your property can soak up and dispose of wastewater. The faster the soil can absorb the water, the more water that can be released into the drain field at any given time.

Septic Tank Sizing

Another important consideration for your septic tank system installation is the size of the septic tank to be installed. The correct tank size should handle your daily water usage and accommodate expected future usage. The larger the size of your household, the larger your septic tank will need to be to keep up with the demand.

Determining the right septic tank system for your home can be a complicated process. It's a smart move to enlist the help of a septic tank contractor before you can shell out on your project. Contact a septic tank contractor for more information. 

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