Water Quality

Septic Tank Design

in Georgia

and Construction

The University of Georgia College of Family & Consumer Sciences and College of
Agricultural
& Environmental Sciences � Cooperative Extension Service

Cecil Hammond and Tony Tyson, Extension Engineers

The first known installation of a

septic tank in the United States was in
1876, although Louis Mouras of Vesoul, France, was given a patent in
1881 and credited with the invention.
Baffles, which regulate the flow, were
added in 1905 to make the septic tank
more efficient. The first baffles were
made of oak boards.

At the turn of the century, there were

some very large community septic tanks.
In 1903, four community tanks were
constructed in Saratoga, New York, with
a total capacity of one million gallons.

By 1920, septic tanks began to be a

common feature. After World War II,
septic tanks became important to housing developments in unsewered areas.

Septic Systems
and Groundwater

A few rules of thumb tell us when

septic systems are most likely to function
properly and minimize groundwater
contamination:

Good soil facilitates treatment and

disposal of septic system wastewater.
Soil profiles made of sand, silt and
clay work best. If there is too much
clay in the soil, the waste may percolate poorly. If the soil contains too
much sand and large particles, wastewater may pass through to the
groundwater without being treated by
soil microbes.

Soil treatment occurs best when

above the water table and the soil is
relatively dry with oxygen present.
Water at greater depths allows wastewater to remain in the unsaturated soil,
where it can be treated most effectively
before reaching groundwater.

Septic systems need space. Only

part of the microorganisms and chemi
cals are removed from wastewater as it
moves downward. Even properly operating systems can discharge some
phosphates, nitrates and bacteria or
viruses into the groundwater. To reduce loading of groundwater with effluent,
install systems on lots with
adequate space.

Proper design and use is important. Septic systems are designed to

treat and dispose of a specific volume
and type of wastewater in the conditions found at the site. The system
must not be overloaded. Hazardous
chemicals or large amounts of grease
should not be disposed in septic systems. Kitchen grease should be placed
in the garbage, not the septic tank.
Water conservation extends the life of
the system.

Routine maintenance is critical.

Septic tanks must eventually be
pumped. Sludge and scum accumulate
and, if allowed to remain, will eventu

ally cause the tank to overflow and

clog the drainfield.

Good judgment in planning and design

and diligent maintenance are the most
important aspects of an effective septic
system management program.

Septic Tank Function

Sewage or untreated household waste

will quickly clog all but the most porous
gravel formations. The septic tank conditions sewage to allow percolation of
the liquid portion into the subsoil. The
most important function of septic tanks
is to protect the absorption ability of the
subsoil. In doing this, the septic tank
does the following three things.

Removes solids from liquid. As

sewage enters the tank, the rate of flow
is reduced and heavy solids settle,
forming sludge. Grease and other light
solids rise to the surface, forming a
scum. The sludge and scum are retained and break down while the clari-

Figure 1. Cross-section of a septic tank

Figure 2. Septic systems can affect groundwater.
fied effluent (liquid) is discharged to
the drainfield for soil absorption.

Provides biological treatment.

Natural processes break down the solids and liquids by bacterial action. The
breakdown occurs in the absence of
oxygen (anaerobic conditions). The
anaerobic conditions are referred to as
�septic,� giving the tank its name.

Stores scum and sludge. The solids

accumulate in the bottom of the tank to
form sludge. The scum is a partially
submerged mat of floating solids and
grease. Scum and sludge are digested
over time and compacted into a small
volume. Areas with warm climates,
such as the southern United States, allow more complete breakdown of solids
and scum than in the cooler climates of
the North. For this reason, tanks in
warm climates do not usually need to be
pumped or cleaned out nearly as often
as those in cold climates. Regardless of
climate, a non-volatile residue of material remains in the tank. Sufficient volume
for the solids must be provided in
the tank between pumpings or cleanings. If the solids fill the tank and enter
the drainfield, the solids can clog the
soil in the drainfield.

Grease from the kitchen is detrimental

to septic tank functions. Effluent from
grease traps must go through septic tanks
before being discharged to drainfields to
prevent soil plugging. The best approach

is to put kitchen grease in old milk jugs

and place in the garbage rather than into
the drain. Small amounts of kitchen
grease can go into the septic tank without damaging the system.

Effluent � Bacteria
and Nutrients

The liquid faction that leaves the septic

tank and enters the drainfield is called the
effluent. The bacterial level of the effluent
is quite high, contrary to popular belief.

The effluent also contains nitrates

(among other nutrients), which move
downward. To reduce potential for
groundwater contamination by the effluent, many areas restrict building lot
sizes. Larger lots reduce loading rates
and help protect groundwater. Some areas with porous or sandy soils are located in
groundwater recharge areas.
These areas may be unsuited for septic
tanks or require building lot sizes 50 to
100 percent larger than lots not in the
recharge areas. Pathogens break down
with soil contact and pathogen levels are
reduced as the effluent percolates
through the soil. Bacteria eventually die
and are removed by the filtering effect of
the soil, further purifying the effluent.

The drainfield pipe is placed on the

contour and perforated to allow the effluent to percolate into the soil. For this
reason, the percolation of the soil is a critical

factor when determining the amount of

drainfield needed. A percolation test of
the soil in the drainfield area is essential.
If you are considering installing a septic
tank, contact your local health department
and building inspector for local requirements. The percolation test procedure is
described here for your information.

Percolation Test

To conduct a percolation test, dig several straight-sided holes (with a hole

digger or auger) at least 4 inches in diameter down to the drainfield level in the
area to be used for the drainfield.
Roughen or scratch any slick clay or
compacted soil in the bottom or sides of
the holes by scraping lightly. Remove
loose material and add two inches of fine
gravel to each hole. Put water into the
holes and saturate the soil, allowing time
for clay to swell. All soils except sands
must be soaked at least four hours before
percolation test results are analyzed.

After soaking, add six inches of water

over the gravel and select a fixed point at
ground level where repeated measurements can be made. Use the same time
interval between measurements and record the settling distance over the time
interval. Add water if the depth of the
water over the gravel falls below two
inches. Take measurements at approximately the same time intervals until a
constant rate of percolation is found. The
time in minutes required for the water to
drop one inch is the percolation rate in
minutes per inch (see Table 1).

Boring to determine ground water elevation in low areas may be required by

the county health department. In such

Figure 3. The percolation test

cases, bore to a depth of six feet and
provide sufficient time for the water
level to stabilize. Sufficient time may
mean overnight for clay soils and no
less than 30 minutes in sandy soil.

Drainfield Size

Once the percolation rate is known,

the drainfield trench bottom area can
be found. Table 1 can be used for
residential areas.

Table 1: Residential drainfield area per

bedroom in house

Average Trench
percolation bottom per Length of trench
rate at tile bedroom in feet
depth (square 18" 24" 36"
(min/inch) feet) wide wide wide

5+ 125 84 63 42
10 165 110 83 55
15 190 127 95 64
20 215 144 108 72
30 250 167 125 84
45 300 200 150 100
50 315 210 158 105
60 340 227 170 113
70 360 240 180 120
80 380 254 190 127
90* 400 267 200 134

+ Fastest rate allowed; * Slowest rate allowed

If more than 500 linear feet of drain-
field is needed, a dosing siphon is required to disperse liquid throughout the
drainfield. The siphon must have a capacity equivalent to 60 to 75 percent of
the interior volume of the lines to be
dosed. A typical cross-section of a drain-
field line is shown in Figure 4.

Location and Dimensions

Drainfields should be at least 100 feet

from the closest well or spring, at least
10 feet from water supply lines, and not
closer than 50 feet to a pond or stream.

Drainfield trenches should normally

be level and not less than 25 inches or
more than 36 inches in depth. In rare
cases, trenches will be deeper and filled
with several feet of gravel to obtain acceptable percolation. The tile drain must
have at least 12 inches of soil over the
tile. The aggregate should be a minimum
of six inches deep under the drain tile.
The drainfield trenches should not exceed 36 inches in width.
Septic Tank Capacity

Septic tanks must provide at least 24hour retention time or at least 750 gal-

Figure 4. Cross-section of a typical drainfield line

lons for a one- or two- bedroom house,
900 gallons for a three-bedroom house
and 1,000 gallons for a four-bedroom
house. Add 250 gallons for each bedroom exceeding four. Septic tanks must
have access openings over inlet and
outlet baffles.

Access location should be marked and

visible for easy inspection.

Selecting A Site

�
Stay at least 100 feet from drinking
water sources, 50 feet from streams or
ponds and 10 feet from water lines.
�
Slope drainfields away from houses,
buildings and the water supply.
�
Keep drainfields unshaded and free
from trees and shrubbery.
�
Allow sufficient space to enlarge the
drainfield if it becomes necessary.
�
Keep septic tanks or drainfields uncovered by driveways or concrete.
�
Locate septic tanks and drainfields
away from drainage areas and waterways.
�
Never use an open flame or matches to
inspect a septic tank. Sewer gases may
explode violently.
Planning the Drainfield

Drainfields consist of two or more

trenches not more than 100 feet in
length. Each trench contains sections of
open-jointed four-inch drain tile or perforated plastic drainpipe laid with the
holes down. The pipe is level to disperse
effluent evenly over the soil area. The

Figure 5. Drainfield tile can be

leveled using a grade board.
percolation rate indicates how fast water
will penetrate the soil and sizes the
drainfield. Some counties require additional soil analysis.

How to Construct
Drainfields
�
Using the percolation rate and Table 1,
find the trench bottom area required
per bedroom. Multiply this by the
number of bedrooms to get the total
trench bottom area. Decide on the
trench bottom width (not to exceed 36
inches) and then deter-mine the total
drainfield length (no one trench can
exceed 100 feet).
�
Drive stakes to mark the position of the
trenches on the contour. A builder�s
level is helpful but not essential. Drive
grade stakes and attach a board by using a good carpenter�s level.
�
Use a distribution box to distribute
effluent to the drainfield. Drop boxes
are also used in some states, but are
not commonly used in Georgia.
Figure 6. Sewage treatment system with distribution box Figure 7. Sewage treatment
system with drop boxes

�
Use serial distribution if the terrain is
hilly. The drainfield lines should be
at least eight feet apart.
�
The distribution box method can be
used on level or sloping terrain and
is required in Georgia when dosing
tanks are used.
A firm earthen or concrete foundation extending at least 12 inches
beyond the box walls is required to
ensure against tilting of the box.
Care is required when backfilling
over and around the box. The top of
the box must have a minimum of six
inches of soil over the top, but no
more than 24 inches unless ready access is provided. The sewer line from
the septic tank or dosing tank enters
the distribution box and terminates in
a downward turned elbow.

�
Absorption lines or drainfield lines
of equal lengths are connected to the
distribution box outlets by independent watertight sewers.
The absorption or drainfield
trenches may be installed at the same
elevation or at different elevations.
All the watertight sewers leading
from the distribution box outlet to
the drainfield lines must be at the
same elevation at the distribution

box and the watertight sewers must

be level for the first two feet as they
lead away from the distribution box.

If drainfield trenches are at different

elevations, some special requirements
should be met. After extending two feet
from the box, the watertight sewers
must have a slope of at least l/8-inch
per foot down to the individual drain-
field trenches. The drainfield lines
should also be installed on a uniform
grade of not less than two inches nor
more than four inches per 100 feet (two
inches is preferred). An increased number of shorter trenches is preferable to
fewer longer trenches in this situation.

Conclusions

Properly designed and installed septic

tanks can function for many years. Annual inspection to determine sludge
depth is desirable to prevent tank solids
from overflowing and sealing the soil in
the drainfield. Minimize the amount of
grease from the kitchen and garbage
disposal solids going into septic tank.
Water conservation reduces the loading
and saturation of the drainfield.

Check with your local health department for specific requirements in your
county before purchasing lots or begin-

Figure 8. Serial distribution does not

require a distribution box and can be
used on sloping land. The individual

drainfield lines are on the contour. The

first trench receives effluent from the

tank and when full overflows through

the relief line to the next trench.

ning construction. Septic tanks serving

a central system to serve commercial or
industrial facilities, institutions, travel
trailer and mobile home parks, subdivisions or multiple family dwellings of
five or more family units require a design by a professional engineer.

To protect groundwater, many areas

increase lot size requirements to reduce
septic tank densities. Septic tank permits
may be subject to additional restrictions
in groundwater recharge areas.

Contact your local health department

or county Extension office for additional
information on septic tank maintenance.

Grateful appreciation is expressed to Commissioner Tommy Irving and the Georgia

Department of Agriculture,
and to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region IV) for financial support
of this publication.

Circular 819-2 Reprinted May 1999

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension
Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people
without regard to race, color, national
origin, age, sex or disability.

An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a

Diverse Work Force

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30,
1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director