What Type of System Do You Have?

Conventional Septic Systems have traditionally been the most commonly used technology for treating wastewater. These systems use gravity to treat and distribute wastewater in the soil. They have the lowest cost and require the least amount of maintenance, which is generally limited to periodic pumping of the septic tank.

A conventional gravity flow septic system consists of a series of tanks or a compartmented tank followed by a distribution system. The septic tanks are used to settle out solids and partially treat wastewater before it reaches the distribution system. The distribution system can be one of the standard subsurface drain field options. They consist of gravel-filled trenches, plastic chambers or plastic pipe installed underground to hold the wastewater leaving the tanks until it can seep into surrounding soil. The soil provides most of the wastewater treatment. Soil particles filter solids and organic matter from the wastewater. Microbes living in the soil break down the solids and kill the bacteria and pathogens in the waste-water.

The conventional gravity flow septic system is usually the most inexpensive system to install and operate for on-site wastewater disposal.

Aerobic Units treat wastewater for homes and small businesses using the same process, only scaled down, as our municipal wastewater treatment systems use. They remove 85 to 98 percent of the organic matter and solids from the wastewater, producing efflu-ent as clean as that from municipal wastewater treatment plants, and cleaner than that from conventional septic tanks.

Aerobic units, which are certified as Class I aerobic systems, treat wastewater well enough to be used in conjunction with spray systems, which distribute treated wastewater over lawns. They are the most common way to treat wastewater for spray systems. The aerobic treatment process includes four main components that work together to purify wastewater:

1. A pretreatment tank, gener-ally referred to as the “trash tank” because it removes materials that microorganisms (microbes) cannot degrade.

2. An aeration chamber, where aerobic microbes decompose waste in the water. An aeration system consists of an air pump, piping and diffusers that force air into the aeration chamber. The air pump, located near the aerobic tank, compresses air to flow into the aeration chamber. The diffuser forces the air into the water, dividing the air into bubbles that float to the surface. The oxygen in the air bubbles goes into the water for the microbes, while the rising bubbles mix with the water.

3. A settling chamber, com-monly called a clarifier, which provides a place for the microbes that have treated the wastewater to settle out of the water.

4. A land application system, which distributes the wastewater into the soil for final treatment and disposal/reuse. Aerobic treatment units usually disperse wastewater via spray distribution systems, which include a disinfection component for removing disease-causing microorganisms, a pump tank for dosing water, and spray heads for spreading the water over the ground.

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For more information, or to set an appointment to check a property call anytime!

Ask for Heath Jackson
817-905-5551
Fort Worth, Texas
info@prosept.net

National Association of Wastewater Transporters-Certified
National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association-Active Member
Texas Onsite Wastewater Association-Active Member