Private On-Site Waste Treatment Systems (POWTS), or septic systems as they are better known, are miniature sewage treatment plants used in rural areas or areas where city sewer does not reach.
• The types of systems include: Conventional
Private On-Site Waste Treatment Systems (POWTS), or septic systems as they are better known, are miniature sewage treatment plants used in rural areas or areas where city sewer does not reach.
• The types of systems include: Conventional, in-ground pressure, at grade, mound systems, and holding tanks.
• In-ground pressure, at grade, and mound systems all have pumps.
• The first part of the system is where the solids settle to the bottom and the scum layer floats to the top. The solids are broken down by bacteria in the tank to form sludge.
• The partially purified liquids filter out of the tank and eventually into the drainfield or mound where they are absorbed and further cleaned. Typically, the water in the biomat is clean within 3 feet. This is why the state of Wisconsin requires 3 feet of separation between the bottom of your drainfield and the limiting factor (water table, impermeable soils, bedrock).
• A mound system is installed when conventional drainfields are unsuitable due to lack of necessary soil properties to adequately absorb or purify the septic tank effluent.
• A holding tank is used in areas where drainage and absorption are such a problem that neither a conventional drainfield, nor a mound can be u