Your Essential Guide for Picking the Perfect Spot for Your Septic Tank Installation
Posted on: 24 March 2020
Are you planning to install a septic system on your residential property? If the property is located in an area without access to a municipal sewer system, septic system installation makes perfect sense.
Septic systems have a tank that collects all the wastewater exiting a home through a series of drains leading to the main sewer line connected to the tank. In the tank, the wastewater is separated into solid and liquid waste. The solid waste that settles at the bottom of the tank is called sludge, while the floatables are referred to as scum. The liquid waste that exits the tank into a drain field is called effluent. Also called a leach field, the drain field acts as a wastewater treatment plant because it removes pollutants present in the effluent.
As you can see, a septic tank is an important part of any septic system. Where you install yours will impact the performance and efficiency of your wastewater disposal system. Take the following factors into account when determining the perfect spot for your septic tank installation.
The Size of the Tank
One of the key factors to consider when picking the perfect spot for a septic tank is the size of the tank you'll need to install. Although septic tank sizes vary from household to household, septic tanks are generally large containers that need to be buried outside.
Finding open space that can be excavated to accommodate your tank is a vital part of the tank installation process.
The Slope of the Land
If you want to maximise the performance and efficiency of your septic system while keeping costs at a minimum, you should install your tank a level area that's just below your home. This way, all drains in your home will use gravity to deliver wastewater to your tank. This will eliminate the need to use a pump to push the wastewater to the tank.
You should also ensure that the wastewater leaving your tank into the drain field will use gravity and not require a pump.
Landscape Design
Septic tanks should be placed away from the path of existing structures, such as trees, private wells, driveways and buildings. For example, homeowners that get their water supply from domestic wells should locate their septic tank far away from their well to avoid the risk of water contamination from a leaking tank.
Septic tanks should also be installed away from large trees, which can damage the tanks with their extensive roots while they search for water sources.
The best way to choose the best location for your septic tank is to let a septic system specialist assess your property and help you make a well-informed decision.
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