Two Components

Class 4 septic systems are divided into two components, the septic tank and the septic field or leaching bed. Waste is piped out of the house into the septic tank, which is essentially a water clarification tank, in which anaerobic bacteria break the waste down into solids (sludge), liquid effluent, and scum.

Septic System

The solids settle to the bottom, the scum floats to the top and the liquid effluent flows through an outlet pipe into a distribution chamber, where it is directed to the septic field. The septic field is an effluent water disposal system, where the liquid is channeled through perforated pipes to different parts of a field of loose gravel.

Septic Tank

Materials that initially float in the scum layer are kept out of the drainage system by an outflow tee or baffle. If the tank is not pumped regularly, the level of solids can rise, and if it approaches the level of the outflow tee, scum and solids can proceed out into the drainage system, clogging the pipes and gravel - and eventually preventing the absorption of the water by the surrounding earth.

A Class 5 septic system is a holding tank for the storage of sewage at the site where it is produced. A typical holding tank system is comprised of a single compartment tank with a pump-out stack and an audible or visual warning device to alert the homeowner when the tank requires emptying. A holding tank is costly to operate, places restrictions of the owner, and is dependent on Class 7 (hauled) sewage system for waste collection and disposal.

A property serviced by a holding tank system requires an agreement registered on title to notify current and future owners of the servicing restrictions on the property.

Care and Maintenance

With proper care and maintenance, your septic tank and field should provide many years of trouble-free service. There are, however, some important steps to follow to help you maintain the proper operation of your sewage disposal system.

The Honey Wagon!

The septic tank in a residential system should be inspected at least once every two years for sludge buildup. The tank should be pumped by a licensed septic tank pumping contractor when necessary. Under normal use a septic tank should have its contents removed every two to three years.

The use of starters, bacterial feeds or cleaners in a septic system is normally not necessary.

The final grade (top soil) over the field should not be altered after it has been installed and inspected, and should be kept grassed after installation. Shrubs, trees or gardens should not be established over the septic field.

Discharge from evestough drains and sump pumps should not be directed into or over a septic field, and lawn sprinkler systems must not be located within this area.

Helpful Hints

Limiting excessive amounts of water in a short time can help reduce disruption of the septic process. You may want to consider the following water use reduction practices:

* Install water saving shower heads, sink aerators, and low-flush toilets.

* Use dishwashers and washing machines only for full loads, and stagger the loads through the week.

* Don't run water continuously when shaving, brushing teeth, rinsing dishes or veggies.

* A container of water in the fridge prevents the need to run water continuously for a cold drink.

* The installation of garbage grinders, large volume hot tubs or spas are not recommended unless the septic system has been sized to accommodate their use.

* The use of biodegradable products is highly recommended. Disposal of non-biodegradeable products such as condoms, feminine hygiene products, plastics, dental floss, etc. is strongly discouraged.

If you have questions regarding the care and maintenance of your septic system, consult your contractor or the Environmental Protection Division of your local Health Department.

The standards for private sewage systems are prescribed in Ontario Regulation 358/90, under the Enviromental Protection Act, and the Guidelines established by Ministry of Environment, and requirements of your local munipality or township.

General Guidelines for Purchasers

* If the system is 5-7 years old and has never been pumped it is unlikely that there are serious problems.

* If there is no record of the system having been pumped but the owner has a vague recollection of pumping the system at some time in the distant past, figure that it has never been pumped.

* If the system is over 10 years old and has never been pumped, it is possible that there has been some damage to the septic field, and if it's not been pumped for over 15 years it is quite likely.

* The only way to make an accurate determination of the system is to have a licensed contractor or engineering firm perform a tank, distribution chamber and field inspection, and possibly soils sampling.

* Flushing dye through the system looks good but will only indicate systems that are already seriouslyclogged, in which case there should already be more obvious signs.

* Flushing dye may not indicate serious defects or indicate systems that are close to failure but still functional.

* If you are on a septic system, adding a bedroom, even without adding a bathroom, may mean having to increase the size of the tank and drainage field.

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All septic tanks are aerated either one way or the other.

That is because there are three types of bacteria in every septic system which process waste: aerobic, facultative and obligate anaerobic.

Aerobic bacteria require oxygen (compressed air) and are more aggressive/effective than anaerobic bacteria (which do not require oxygen). Typically there are very few of these type of bacteria in your septic tank. In a conventional septic system most of the bacteria are facultative.

Facultative bacteria also require oxygen but they can get it from non-aerated water by stripping oxygen molecules from other sources which directly produce the "rotten egg odor," also known as hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). If you aerate the facultative bacteria they will stop producing the H2S and odor, and only produce an earthy smell like dirt.

There are now solar powered aerators available as after market products to eliminate H2S odor by directly aerating the influent flow in the septic tank and supplying the facultative bacteria with oxygen. Just place the air diffuser near the incoming or influent end of the tank. There is a solar aerator that is sized to minimize mixing and solids suspension in your treatment tank. Unlike high air flow, line power aerators, no effluent filter is required, because no matter where you put the diffuser in the septic tank no solids are suspended.

In the presence of oxygen, these bacteria are 20 times more aggressive at consuming waste materials.

Under aerated conditions the treatment in the tank is increased and effluent leaving the tank will be cleaner, this in turn takes the load off the soil treatment area improving overall life of the system.

With a solar septic tank aerator you never pay a power bill. Standard line power electric units require a electrician to install, will cost you more than $500.00 yearly for electricity and need elaborate ground fault protection to meet safety codes.

Solar septic tank aerators are an easy way to aerate any septic tank from the surface. They are designed for outdoor use. A well designed system has a self positioning diffuser with float, you simply drop the diffuser attached to the float and weighted bubble tubing in the septic tank influent inspection opening. Oxygen transfer is sufficient to treat up to 500 gallons per day of flow. This is equal to taking 15 ten minute showers, 5 loads of laundry, and 25 flushes per day, at a waste strength of 100 mg/l BOD. Other applications include placing diffuser in the septic tank wet wells, effluent distribution boxes, pumping chambers, dosing pits, and overloaded "dry wells."

Air flow is automatically managed by diffuser and included float system so air is completely dissolved, off gassing is odor free, and suspended solids treatment and removal is enhanced.

Check for a solar aerator system that includes one pole mounted linear air pump, integral solar panel, flex cap non-plugging coarse bubble mixing diffuser with float, and 20 foot of ¼ inch flex weighted tubing. System suitable for replacement of other advanced aerobic 500 gallon per day units. Seek a system with manufacturer 1 year warranty on all parts, 3 year warranty on pump motor, 5 year warranty on solar panels, 180 day money back warranty, system that is extremely quiet & efficient, free shipping, no sales tax except in Illinois!

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Living in the boonies normally means having a self contained waste water/sewage treatment system more commonly known as a septic system. Proper use and maintenance of a septic system is important in keeping it working efficiently and prolonging its life. Using an aeration system in the septic tank is one method of ensuring that your system is working in a highly efficient manner.

The reason an aerator septic tank works better then a standard tank is really quite simple; it adds more oxygen into the system which leads to better waste material break down. More oxygen helps two of the three types of bacteria that live in the system process more sewage then they normally would in a non-aerated system.

The three bacteria in question are aerobic, facultative and obligate anaerobic. Aerobic bacteria thrive in an oxygen rich environment while anaerobic bacteria do not require oxygen to reproduce and grow. There aren't a whole lot of these two types of bacteria found in a septic system, but they can be found there. Facultative bacteria are the most common bacteria found in a septic tank.

Facultative bacteria are unique in that they need oxygen but can survive in an anaerobic environment. They can do this by using oxygen taken from other sources such as food partially digested food items. When they obtain oxygen in this fashion they release hydrogen sulfide gas which gives off a rotten egg smell. Providing oxygen through an aeration system will alleviate this problem as the bacteria will stop producing the hydrogen sulfide gas and emit a more agreeable odor that smells like dirt.

Facultative bacteria are also more aggressive in their consumption of sewage under aerated conditions. In fact they can be up to twenty percent more effective in treating the waste products in the septic tank. This leads to cleaner waste water leaving the tank into the drain field and increases its life.

An aeration tank is a good choice for new systems or if you are thinking of replacing your current tank. You can also have an aerator installed in an existing tank during a maintenance cycle that includes pumping out and cleaning the tank.

In most cases the aerator is located in the middle chamber of the septic tank and will need an electrical source of some sort to operate. Think of a large oversized fish tank pump and bubble system and that's essentially water a septic tank aerator is. It will provide a constant supply of oxygen rich air into the effluent and allow the beneficial facultative bacteria to flourish.

While an aerator septic tank will lengthen the life of any septic system it must be remembered that proper maintenance and regular inspections are still needed. Failure to do these two things will lead to problems that even a properly aerated system will be unable to deal with.

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Septic Aeration Restore Systems

The waste in a septic system breaks down when naturally occurring microorganisms consume the organic material in sewage. Adding a septic aerator encourages the growth of naturally-occurring aerobic microorganisms as a means of treating effluent. These aerobic microbes are the reason septic aeration works so well. Microbes prefer aerobic conditions to anaerobic conditions. As shown in image on the left, aerobic bacteria (microorganisms that consume both organic matter and oxygen) are 50 times larger and far more efficient than anaerobic bacteria at digest organic matter. When dissolved oxygen is introduced (septic aerator), microorganisms in decomposing organic matter consume oxygen dissolved in the water. The more dissolved oxygen the septic aerator can introduce the more aerobic microbes can live to consume organic matter.

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Septic Aeration

Septic aeration has been around for nearly a century, with the first documentation of using diffusers to release oxygen to break down sewage dating clear back to 1916.

In approximately 1946 ATU's (aerobic treatment units) were being used on a limited basis as septic aeration moved from municipal wastewater treatment into household systems. These first ATU’s were expensive alternatives to conventional septic system used to replace failing systems or required or forced on home owners when soil conditions or lot size prohibited conventional system. Today, in many states, if your current system fails there is a strong possibility you will be forced into a permanent aerobic system. Depending on engineering costs these ATU’s can reach over $30,000.

The Discovery of a Phenomenon

The first discovery of the phenomenon that septic aeration shrinks the bio mat slime and restores function to a failing drain field is hard to pin point. Extensive research shows strong evidence that it happened somewhat simultaneously in a number of locations around the world in the late 1960’s.


The Retrofit Septic Aeration Industry is Born

The 70’s and early 80’s would see a number of different companies enter the market that offered septic aerators designed to install into existing conventional septic systems. 1985 would see one the first official government and industry monitored study. Today the universities, government, and industry studies number in the dozens. All reporting what countless home owners already knew……..If your Septic System is Failing…… Septic Aeration Restores it!

The Journal of Environmental Quality Reported: "Using aeration has been successful in restoring hydraulic function in more than 60 failed onsite wastewater treatment systems in the eastern United States."

Purdue University Department of Agronomy and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in Doc HENV-14-W States: "Retrofit aerobic treatment devices have been found to restore the original functioning of drain fields in a matter of months."  the study concludes with:
Drain fields that become too thick due to excess organic matter or water can reduce the system’s effectiveness and result in system failure. Normally, there are three options for reducing the organic matter load on the soil absorption field and correcting this problem:
1. Construct an additional soil absorption field
2. Rest the absorption field for an extended period
3. Install a septic aeration unit

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Septic Tank Aeration Systems

Advantage and Disadvantage
An aeration system is very similar to a septic system. They both hold waste that comes from bathroom facilities, break it down and send it out into the ground. However an aeration system is more expensive to purchase, costs the owners more in electricity and needs attention more often from service technicians. Because power is needed to run part of the system, power outages that last a great length of time can cause build up that might cause back up, pumping or at the least a service call. Even with these disadvantages, the system is a better set up with cleaner water coming out the other end.

Basics
The system itself is made up of a large tank with three compartments within. Each compartment has an opening near the top of the tank for the water to flow to the next chamber. There is a filter in place that keeps large solids from going through to other sections. An aerator is in the middle chamber powered by electricity. There is an access area above ground to get to the workings of the aerator in case it needs maintenance. The third chamber has a sloping floor at the bottom that leans back toward the second chamber and an opening at the bottom connecting it to the second chamber.

Operation
The waste water flows into the first chamber, which is called a settling camber. Large solid waste settles to the bottom. Natural bacteria from the body reside in the waste and break it down into smaller pieces. This waste water flows through a filtered opening near the top of the tank into the second chamber. In the second chamber the aeration system mixes up the waste water forcing air into the water. Bacteria from the air enter the water and further break down waste. The water then flows through a second opening near the top of the tank into a third chamber. In this chamber any solids or bacteria that might have made it through, settle to the bottom while water flows out of the tank. The particles that settle to the bottom, fall onto a sloped floor that sends them sliding toward an opening at the bottom and back into the second compartment for more treatment.

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