What is a septic system?

What is a septic system?

If you live in a rural area where there are no sewers then you know that you need a septic system. Septic systems have been pretty much the same sort of idea for decades.

The Septic Tank

When you flush a toilet or have a shower or wash vegetables in the kitchen sink the waste water goes down the drain, it then travels through a pipe outside of your home in a large holding tank that is under the ground.
This holding tank is called a septic tank; it collects the waste and waste water from your entire home. The waste water flows out the tank through another pipe into a septic bed. Today’s septic tanks have two chambers, first one fills and then the other. The solids remain in the septic tank while the waste water flows out the exhaust pipe into the septic bed.

The solids that stay in the septic tank break down over time because of the high bacteria content in the septic tank. A properly working septic tank will break down wastes and solids at a steady enough rate allowing years between the need to have it pumped out and emptied.

The septic bed 

From the septic tank the waste water flows out through piping to a septic bed. A Septic bed is basically a bunch of perforated piping encased in a layer of sand. The waste water flows down the piping and gradually leaks into the sand that is surrounding the perforated piping. The sand acts as a filter cleaning the waste water. By the time the water is through the sand the organic plants usually absorb it cleaning it again for a final time.

Septic systems work on time, everything takes time to travel through the system, by the time the waste water travels through the entire system it comes ready to be re-consumed.

There are many different types and variations on the septic system model but this at the root of it is the basic one that has been around for decades.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Will my septic system fit on my lot?

Q:

We have a small piece of property that we want to build our retirement home on, our friends are telling us that once the house is built there won’t be enough room for the septic bed, is that true?

A:

Your friends might actually be right; your property if small enough might not have enough room for the bed of your septic system. Septic beds cannot be placed to close to the house, or wells or under driveways.

But don’t get to worried yet; there are other options then the conventional septic tank with a big tile bed. There are actually septic systems on the market that do not require a septic bed.

The system that doesn’t require the use of a septic bed is called an ECO-FLOW system. The system works like this;

There is a concrete septic tank in the ground on the outside of your home, then the waste flows into another fibreglass holding tank, inside the fibreglass holding tank is filled with pete moss. The pete moss helps eat up all the solids and harmful waste water. From that tank the water flows out into an area of your yard that is filled with sand. That’s it. The system takes up a lot less room then your conventional septic system.

ECO-FLOWS where invented for this very reason, for places that don’t have enough room for a proper septic system.

The best thing you can do is talk to an installer of septic systems, or if you already have a general contractor then talk to them about it. You will surprised at what modern technology is out there for septic systems. The decision will be made well before you start your house on whether your septic system will fit on your lot with your new home, your municipality will require you to submit a plan to them with a layout of where the home sits and where the septic will be installed before you are granted a building permit. As long as you do not violate any of the set backs with your septic system you should be able to build your home.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

ECO-Flow Septic systems

ECO-Flow Septic systems

For decades in rural homes septic systems have been installed the same way, the biggest thing about a septic system is that you needed to leave a lot of room for the system to be installed limiting the available area you have left after the house has been constructed. Out buildings, decks, pools, driveways and playgrounds all had to be kept away from these area's.

This has changed with the ECO-FLOW system. The Eco-flow system takes up a lot less room then conventional septic systems, the reason that Eco-flow takes up less room is that there is no septic bed.

The basic septic system is a three part system; a concrete tank, followed by a large septic bed that is basically perforated piping, the piping is encased in sand that is referred to as the septic bed.

The Eco-flow system doesn’t have this septic bed or the perforated pipe that is encased in it.

You still have a concrete septic tank where the waste water is collected, after that the waste water flows into a fiberglass holding tank that is filled with pete moss. The pete moss removes all the bacteria and then releases the water. The water isn’t released into perforated pipes, it is released into an area that is filled with sand.

There is no piping needed and the sand area is a lot smaller than the typical septic tile bed system.

The reason that it doesn't require a conventional septic bed is because of the pete moss in the fiberglass tanks. The pete moss helps absorb the harmful bacteria allowing the waste water to be released directly into the sand bed without any harmful affects to the environment.

This type of septic system is one of the most advanced residential septic systems in today’s market. The only down side to this system is the cost, it is one of the most expensive systems that you can install.
Another advantage to this system is that for larger homes instead of installing multiple septic systems to handle the larger capacity you simple add a second or third fibre glass tank that is full of Pete moss. The system is quiet easily upgraded at later dates.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.