Black Water General Info
Growing Away Waste Water
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When an eastern Massachusetts homeowner planned to add two bedrooms to his house, he learned that he would have to upgrade his septic system-to the tune of $75,000 and a 5-foot-high mound system. Today, a patch of evergreens, holly, hostas, and irises creates an inviting landscape where that mound would have been. An advanced biofilter system was installed after the septic tank, with leachate dispersed via drip-irrigation tubing through a landscape of hardy plants specially chosen for their abilities to take up wastewater.
In back of a home on Cape Cod, a sturdy patch of 8-foot-high bamboo in a polyethylene-lined contained garden bed treats the home's graywater. Blackwater is managed separately with a toilet stool that drains to an aerobic composting toilet unit below the floor. This system option saved the homeowner an estimated $30,000 over a new septic-and-mound system, a common prescription for failing septic systems in poorly draining soils.
Increasingly, landscapes will do double duty as part of wastewater treatment systems that "grow clean water."
Growing Away Waste Water |
Types of Septic Systems
There are basically four types of septic sytems. Not all homeowners are free to choose from all four types because local codes may not allow conventional systems to be installed where soil absorbtion or drainfield space is limited. In addition, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Most localities require an engineer to perform a site evaluation. The results of this evaluation will determine the homeowners options. Different systems require more or less frequent attention by the owner, others require more frequent maintenance by septic system professionals. Installation costs also vary by type, so there is much to consider when choosing the system that's best for you.
Types of Septic Systems |
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