There are more septic systems installed in any state of the U.S today than there are cities in the world. That is how relevant septic system design has become throughout the year.
Already high and increasing, this number of systems had led environmental and state agencies to adopt common requirements for developing those systems. Although we tend to gravitate towards a group of options, these can vary drastically due to several reasons.
Those reasons have as many differences as they have similarities among them, and that is what makes a group of systems viable for certain conditions and underperforming towards others.
The first step is finding out where you stand, and, how do you do that? That’s right, with a soil evaluation. Since we would not even attempt to predict the conditions of your soil, we will be using general information to show you what conditions shape a septic design and how the resulting system looks like.
Although in one special case we will use the type of soil most common in the state of Texas, officially designated as Houston Black, you may want to keep in mind that these characteristics vary greatly even within a short distance.
So, when we say that we would not even attempt to predict the conditions of your soil, we also mean that you shouldn’t. It is not just our opinion, it is a fact that we’ve been able to validate throughout years of experience and septic installations in the state of Texas.
Before planning any septic installations, make sure to reach out to a licensed septic professional for further assistance. Only that way you will be able to ensure that the system you choose is best for both the soil and governmental regulations.
Before discussing how different scenarios would shape septic design and make a specific system a potential candidate for those conditions, let’s review what the ideal scenario would be.
- In the ideal septic scenario | Nortex Septic Designs
- About Septic Challenges | Nortex Septic Design
- Septic scenario | Impermeable soil
- Nortex Septic Choice | Impermeable soils
- Septic scenario | Soil depth limitations
- Nortex Septic Choice | Soil depth limitations
- Septic scenario | High volume of effluent
- Nortex Septic Choice | High volume of effluent
- Septic scenario | Shallow groundwater
- Nortex Septic Choice | Shallow groundwater
- Septic challenge | Houston Black Soil Type
- Septic challenge one | High effluent on Houston Black
- Nortex Septic Choice | High effluent on Houston Black
- Septic challenge two | Shallow soil on Houston Black
- Nortex Septic Choice | Shallow soil on Houston Black
- Septic design considerations | Nortex Septic Designs
- Septic design and inspections in Texas | Nortex Septic
In the ideal septic design scenario | Nortex Septic Designs
In ideal conditions, any given answer would be a good answer, any given alternative would be a good choice, and any system would be an optimal solution.
As comfortable as we may feel thinking otherwise, the earth is not simple, it is a very complex system ruled by laws of change. In such slow-paced, uncertain and dramatic changes, the earth has been able to survive for millions of years.
In our country and our very state, there is extensive evidence of those drastic changes, especially beneath our feet. In cases such as this one, the landscape changes more drastically from beneath as it does over the horizon.
Writing this article from the perspective of an ideal scenario does not pose any benefits for either septic professionals or customers. In an ideal system, there would not be any need for considering a pressurized distribution system or even a pre-treatment system.
Adversity is where changes thrive, it is where humans are more likely to mimic the changing nature of the place we inhabit, and for that reason, if there is an ideal scenario, it is in each of the aspects that challenge septic design.
About Septic Challenges | Nortex Septic Design
Did we mention that we will propose a solution to each of these scenarios? Oh yes, that’s right, for every septic scenario that we will be discussing in this blog, we will provide a potential septic choice that given such conditions, should work just fine. Are you ready to jump in this septic challenge with us?
Septic system design scenario | Impermeable soil
Out of the many characteristics to be found on an on-site evaluation, arguably nothing is as challenging as working with restrictive soils. How is that possible? Well, there are two main reasons for that.
The first one is that the soil increases the difficulty of the installation process. The pre-treatment units, the land application systems, and the transportation systems are all embedded on the soil. Secondly, very restrictive layers mean slow transportation rates and fewer septic opportunities available, which increases the overall cost.
The more you think about it, the better you will be able to appreciate how this single condition would soon become the aspect dictating each of our septic choices.
Two options that we can consider to address this septic challenge effectively could be either by implementing an Evapotranspiration system or a constructed wetland, and this is why.
Nortex Septic Choice | Impermeable soils
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Septic system design scenario | Soil depth limitations
Soil depth limitations is another of those topographic findings that make septic design and installations crank up in difficulty. So, what is an example of soil depth limitations and why are they a problem?
In essence, a shallow soil means that there is no plenty of space to maneuver, not even for the effluent to be transported to the land application downhill, which may require a more expensive pressurized transportation system that would otherwise not be required.
The way to solve this problem is to consider using a more advanced pre-treatment unit like an aerobic septic system and increase the quality of that primary treatment to widen your range of land application systems.
Curious about what that system might look like? Check below for our septic proposal.
Nortex Septic Choice | Soil depth limitations
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Septic system design scenario | High volume of effluent
When it comes to residential septic services, the area of the land available, the size of the house, the number of rooms, and even the water management habits of the family are critical to designing an adequate wastewater system.
Why is that information relevant to the septic designer?
In a nutshell, all septic systems are built to manage a specific volume of effluent and this is so sensitive that miscalculations can lead to dramatic losses.
That is true not only for high volume applications but all kinds. The bigger the size of the system, however, the more we would be demanding from the soil and its ability to manage that volume of effluent.
If this is your case, here are a couple of things that we can do for you.
Something to discuss on another occasion is how dramatic changes in the volume of effluent could change the septic solutions available in the market. Which we could realize with a simple experiment.
If we take a certain volume as an example and then double that volume, will it be too big for a certain system to be suitable for the domestic application? What about four times bigger or even ten times?
How would the septic systems available narrow down in number as those increments are considered? Give examples
Leaching chambers
Mound systems
Nortex Septic Choice | High volume of effluent
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Septic system design scenario | Shallow groundwater
Although we have addressed soil depth limitations in the past, to have shallow groundwater instead of a shallow bedrock could lead to picking a completely different system, and that is precisely the purpose of presenting this other design consideration.
Why is shallow groundwater different from shallow bedrock? Well, as silly as it could look for the first time, it starts with the kind of question that we as septic professionals ask ourselves.
We do not go an say “how can we fit a system in this shallow soil” instead we ask “how can all the options available be arranged to provide high-quality effluent without even compromising the natural reservoirs?”
Do you see the difference? It is not a matter of space anymore, it is a matter of critical health safety and environmental protection and we might consider a more dedicated treatment to ensure that the quality of the effluent will provide above the requirements because your family’s health depends on it.
Do you want to know what happens when the groundwater is too shallow? How is too shallow and what are the potential risks that it implicates? Bare with us and we’ll get you acquainted in a couple of lines.
Nortex Septic Choice | Shallow groundwater
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Septic system design challenge | Houston Black Soil Type
So far, we have been able to understand what are the most critical factors in designing and installing a septic system. Paying, however, too little attention to the type of soil.
Since you have already seen how these aspects would conduct the design in general terms, we will add a more specific context by choosing certain soil conditions.
Given our experience in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, considering the type of soil more common in the state of Texas seems like the most straightforward alternative.
The Houston Black is a species of vertisols that are known for their relatively high clay content and seasonally humidity. It’s also a soil high in nutrients, which favors the endurance of a diverse population of microbes in the soil, which is especially good for <a> commercial septics </a> since the treatment generally requires a higher quality.
Septic system design challenge one | High effluent on Houston Black
Unlike the past examples, two main aspects are restricting the septic design in this case. First, we have more information on the type of soil, which is a Houston Black, and secondly, the volume of wastewater which is twice as high as the average relevant to this scenario.
If we start by addressing the volume of effluent, we will notice that the choices depicted in the previous case scenario, might be a fit. But, as soon as we think about the characteristics of the soil, those systems are no longer adequate, at least not without making a couple of adjustments.
Leaching chambers will not work because in this case, the soil has low transportation capabilities.
Nortex Septic Choice | High effluent on Houston Black
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Septic design challenge two | Shallow soil on Houston Black
Just like in the previous case, we will have to reconsider our past recommendations on shallow soil to ensure that given the characteristics of the soil, it will work as expected from an optimal septic design.
So, are you eager to learn how much the type of soil could influence our verdict?
low-pressure distribution system or mound system with drain field instead of leaching chambers.
Nortex Septic Choice | Shallow soil on Houston Black
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Septic design considerations | Nortex Septic Designs
But hey, your septic professional will take care of all that for you. In fact, if there is something you should do to ensure that best practices are being followed, please consider the following general guidelines:
Determine the location of neighboring and abandoned wells.
Isolate the septic system from any neighboring wells if possible to lower the risk of contamination.
Place the land application system as far as possible from the well to avoid health risks from water intake.
Allow enough space in the septic site to facilitate access for maintenance, pumping, and any further septic related activity.
Septic design and inspections in Texas | Nortex Septic
If you are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, we are happy to inform you that we can take on your septic system design, installations, and inspections.
All you have to do is make sure that you are calling us from the any of the following counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:
Collin
Dallas
Denton
Tarrant
Grayson
In the case that you are reading us from a different county or state, there is no need to panic, just pick up the phone, get in touch with us and let us see if there is something we can do for you. We will evaluate your case and either take care of your septic requirement on ourselves or help you find an equally capable septic professional near your area.
