Septic system owner's guide

SoilFacts Septic System Owner s Guide ■ If you use a septic system, or if you are buying a home with a septic system, this owner’s guide can help you be sure that your septic system is used and maintained properly. This folder also provides a place to record and keep important information, such as a copy of your permit, a sketch of your system, maintenance records, and other fact sheets. Know the Ins and Outs of Your System What type of system do you have? Many different kinds of septic systems are used in North Carolina, but most of the nearly 2 million systems in use throughout the state are slight modifications of the conventional septic system. This system has a septic tank and a drainfield with gravel- filled trenches (usually two to six trenches). Since the mid to late 1990s, however, the traditional gravel aggregate trenches used in the past have given way to newer gravel-less trench designs. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. These gravel-less trench designs rely on alternative materials in place of the gravel. The most common gravel-less trenches now used include either long, narrow, tunnel¬ shaped chambers in the trenches or gravel substitutes such as expanded polystyrene aggregate. Other alternative trench materials that are also being used extensively in some parts of the state include large diameter pipes and permeable concrete panel block trench materials. In addition, since about 2003, some gravel-less septic system trenches use bundles of plastic pipes or other materials such as recycled rubber tires (chopped into STATE UNIVERSITY A&T STATE UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Helping People Put Knowledge to Work chips or pieces to meet specific size require¬ ments) to replace the gravel aggregate. Cooperative Extension Sendee publication AG-439- 13, Septic Systems and Their Maintenance, describes the conventional system, simple modifications of it, and important maintenance needs. Other more sophisticated types of on-site systems used for the last 20 to 25 years include systems with pumps, mechanical pretreatment units, or biofilters. These technologies are now being used in numerous new housing developments or to replace or repair failing septic systems at homes and businesses. Systems using these new tech¬ nologies require a higher level of maintenance than the more traditional conventional septic systems. For this reason, state rules have specific maintenance requirements for a number of these more sophisticated technologies. Often, homeowners will be required by state sewage rules to hire a state-certified operator to regularly inspect and maintain the system. In addition, state rules also require the health department to inspect these systems on a periodic basis. Your local health department can tell you what type of system you have and what the