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- Three Types of Septic Systems
Three Types of Septic Systems
There are three types of septic systems permitted in Placer County. The type of system your property requires is determined by:
- Ground water levels
- Percolation rates (how fast water flows through the soil)
- Soil quality
The simplest system available, standard septic systems consist of:
- Septic tank
- Leach field
Wastewater leaves the building and enters the first compartment of the septic tank. Heavy solids form sludge in the bottom of the tank, and grease and light material form a scum layer near the top. The clear zone in between flows into the second compartment of the septic tank.
The wastewater then leaves the second compartment and flows to the distribution box at the beginning of the leach field. The leach field is comprised a network of perforated pipes laid in gravel-lined trenches. The effluent is distributed to the leach lines via serial distribution.
A low pressure dose septic system consists of:
- Septic tank
- Pump tank
- Leach field
Wastewater leaves the building and enters the first compartment of the septic tank. Heavy solids form sludge in the bottom of the tank, and grease and light material form a scum layer near the top. The clear zone in between flows into the second compartment of the septic tank. Wastewater then leaves the second compartment of the septic tank and enters the pump tank where it is then pumped to the leach field.
The leach field consists of a network of small diameter pipes that receives the wastewater under low pressure. Low pressure dosed systems may be utilized as an alternative for some sites to mitigate for the limitations associated with poorer quality soils and slow permeability.
A supplemental treatment system consists of:
- Septic tank
- NSF-40 supplemental treatment unit or system
- Pump tank
- Leach field, drip field or leaching bed
Supplemental treatment systems function like low pressure dosed systems except with one major difference in that there is a treatment unit attached to the system to further treat the wastewater prior to dispersal in the leach field, drip field or leaching bed. Supplemental treatment systems may be utilized for some sites to mitigate for the limitations associated with shallow effective soil depths and/or soils with rapid permeability. Supplemental treatment systems fall into our Operation Monitoring and Maintenance program and require annual maintenance by a qualified service provider. Maintenance reports are required to be submitted to Environmental Health annually.