How Does A CONVENTIONAL "Leach Line" Work?
The leach line, also referred to as a drain field, disposal works or disposal area, takes the relatively “solids” free water called effluent from the septic tank and distributes it into the soil for final impurity and contaminate removal. Leach lines are generally constructed of perforated pipe installed at the upper part of a gravel filled trench. They come in many different configurations, lengths and depths. Your local governing entity will determine the appropriate size according to the soils composition.
JT's Septic does not do leach line repair at this time.
cesspool
Excavations that receive untreated sanitary waste containing human excreta, which sometimes has an open bottom and/or perforated sides (40 CFR 144.3). Cesspools are essentially outhouses with running water. Since there is little or no treatment, cesspools can contaminate groundwater. Also, often times cesspools have no lids covering the opening creating a safety hazard. Cesspools are no longer recognized as transferable systems in the state of Arizona (as of 1976). For more information on the inspection of a cesspool visit Transfer of Ownership.
ALTERNATIVE DISPOSAL AREAS
A wastewater treatment system that includes components different from those typically used in a conventional septic tank and subsurface wastewater infiltration system (SWIS). An alternative system is used to achieve acceptable treatment and dispersal of wastewater where conventional systems either might not be capable of protecting public health and water quality or are inappropriate for properties with shallow soils over ground water or bedrock or soils with low permeability. Examples of components that can be used in alternative systems are sand filters, aerobic treatment units, disinfection devices, and alternative subsurface infiltration designs such as mounds, gravel-less trenches, and pressure and drip distribution. The most common alternative systems in the Prescott area are:
Aerobic Treatment Unit: A mechanical wastewater treatment unit that provides secondary wastewater treatment for a single home, a cluster of homes, or a commercial establishment by mixing air (oxygen) and aerobic and facultative microbes with the wastewater. ATUs typically use a suspended growth process (such as activated sludge-extended aeration and batch reactors), a fixed-film process (similar to a trickling filter), or a combination of the two treatment processes.
chlorination as a disinfectant
Onsite wastewater treatment systems distributing wastewater on the ground surface are required to include a disinfection component as part of the advanced pretreatment process. Additionally, some subsurface drip systems applying wastewater into shallow soils require disinfection prior to dispersal. Disinfection is the destruction or inactivation of disease-causing organisms. The disinfection component reduces the concentration of the pathogenic constituents to an acceptable level. This usually relates to a health standard or a maximum required number of organisms for infection.
While conventional systems rely on a single biomat forming at the soil interface, the Eljen GSF adds a second, primary biomat layer on the surface of it's unique Bio-Matt™ Fabric.
Download the Arizona Design & Installation Manual
Read about Eljen pads here: Onsite Installer
Sand Filter: A packed-bed filter of sand or other granular materials used to provide advanced secondary treatment of settled wastewater or septic tank effluent.
Constructed Wetlands: Wetlands utilize plants like cattails for enhanced treatment nitrogen reduction.
Evapotranspiration Bed
An evapotranspiration (ET) bed treats wastewater by using evapotranspiration — the loss of water from the soil by evaporation and by transpiration from plants growing there.
ET beds are used where the soil cannot treat wastewater before it percolates to groundwater, such as in rocky soils, or where the soil prevents wastewater from percolating from the soil absorption field, such as in heavy clay soils.
ET systems are designed according to local evapotranspiration and rainfall rates, which vary across Texas. The local authorized agent, generally the local health department or regional office of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, can tell you what the rates are in your area. ET bed systems can be smaller in drier regions of the state compared to the same size household in wetter locations. These systems do not work in very wet areas where more rain falls than is evaporated or transpired.
There are two types of ET beds: lined and unlined. In lined systems, the ET bed is lined with a natural clay, synthetic or concrete liner. A liner is required if the surrounding soil is very permeable, such as in sandy gravel or karst limestone. Unlined systems can be used in highly impermeable soils such as heavy clays. In unlined systems, wastewater is disposed of by a combination of evaporation, transpiration and absorption, which is often called an evapotranspiration/absorption (ETA) system**.
visit an interactive demo of an aerobic system