Septic System Installation

If you're building a home or cabin in the country that is too far from the city to have city sewer services, you'll need to install your own septic system. This includes a drainfield and septic tank. Here are some steps involved in a septic system installation.

Learn Local Codes

Health codes pertain to where a septic system can be placed and how it's built. You'll want to work with a septic contractor familiar with the codes, and it doesn't hurt to learn about septic codes yourself since you'll own a system.

For instance, you can buy concrete, plastic, or fiberglass septic tanks, but some localities only permit concrete tanks since these are heavier and have a lower risk of moving when the ground floods.

Plan The Septic System Installation

You'll need a soil test to verify the soil is suitable for the drainfield. You'll probably want to do this before construction on your house begins. This also helps you plan where the drainfield and septic tank will go. You'll probably need your own well in the country too, and the spot for the well should be chosen at the same time so the well and septic system are far enough apart.

Once these decisions are made, your home can be built. After the home is up, but before the interior work is complete, work can begin on installing the well and septic system.

Dig The Tank Pit And Trenches

Septic system installation involves excavating your land since the system parts are all under the ground. The system needs trenches to hold the sewer pipes and drainfield pipes and pits for the tank and distribution box. When the excavation is done, the drains can be put in that attach to your home's sewer main and that goes from the tank to the distribution box. Drains also go from the box to the drainfield.

Assemble The Parts

The septic tank is lowered into the ground. Even if you get a concrete tank, the tank will probably be precast at the factory and delivered to your home, and placed in the pit with heavy machinery. The tank size you get is calculated based on the number of bedrooms in your new home.

The distribution box is buried away from the tank. This is where the drain from the septic tank connects and then spreads the wastewater to multiple drains that empty in the drainfield.

When everything is in place, dirt is backfilled to cover up the septic system. However, it's a good idea to keep the lid visible so the contractor can find it when it's time to pump your tank in a few years. 

For more info about septic system installation, contact a local company.