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I. PURPOSE

Frequently prospective buyers of a single family home have many questions regarding the septic system serving the dwelling: What does the existing septic system consist of? Is it working properly? How long will it last? If it fails, how much will a replacement system cost?
 
In order to help buyers obtain information which address these concerns, we have put together this Fact Sheet to guide them in making informed decisions regarding the potential problems and costs associated with a property's septic system.

II. OVERVIEW

The purpose of a home's subsurface sewage disposal system (septic system) is to dispose of the waste water generated by the occupants in such a manner that the soils on the property can disperse it without causing an adverse effect on groundwater and in turn on public health and the environment. To accomplish this a system consists of the following elements: (1) A sewer line, which connects the home's plumbing to the septic tank; (2) A septic tank, which allows for the settling of solids and provides the initial treatment of the sewage. This is where waste material is broken down by bacterial action. A properly functioning septic tank will reduce pollutant levels and produce an effluent of fairly uniform quality. This is accomplished by providing inlet and outlet baffles to reduce the velocity of liquid moving through the tank. New tanks (installed since January, 1991) consist of two compartments in order to do an even more effective job of obtaining the above objective; (3) A distribution system which directs the flow of effluent from the septic tank to the drainage system in such a manner to insure full utilization of the system. Most systems are "gravity" systems, meaning the flow runs through piping and distribution boxes without the assistance of any mechanical device, such as a pump or siphon; 4) A drainage (leaching) system, which disperses the sewage effluent into the surrounding natural soils. There are many types of drainage systems. The specific type utilized on a particular property is usually dependent on the soil conditions which exist on the site. Most residential installations utilize stone-filled leaching trenches, but galleries, pits and beds have historically been used.

For a drainage system to function properly it must:

1. Provide enough application area. The application area is the amount of surface area of soil provided by the particular drainage system (sides and bottom area of leaching units) where sewage effluent is applied (referred to as "wetted" area). The amount of application area needed for a given house depends on the characteristics of the soils on the property and the daily flows (in gallons) generated from the house. The anticipated flow from a house is usual predicated on the number of bedrooms in the dwelling.

2. Be surrounded by natural soil conditions which will be able to dissipate and disperse the septic tank effluent discharge without becoming over saturated.

3. Provide enough capacity to store effluent during periods of unusually heavy use or when rainfall or subsurface flooding reduces the ability of the system to disperse the liquid.  

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