Rideau Canal Waterway - Septic Systems


		Septic Systems

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If you use any water in your residence, it must be disposed through an approved septic system. The purpose of the system is to remove most of the harmful items that might get into the water. Septic systems require periodic maintenance. Properly maintaining your septic system is the key to its efficiency.

HOW IT WORKS

A septic system is made up of a septic tank and a septic bed (also known as a weeping bed, tile bed, leach field, disposal field, or just field). Waste water from the house flows into the septic tank. The purpose of the tank is to hold the water long enough so that the solids can settle out. About 50% of the solids decompose in the tank, the other settle out on the bottom of the tank as sludge. Lighter particles form a scum at the top. This process leaves a middle layer of partially clarified water. An outlet baffle in the tank is positioned to allow only this middle water layer out of the tank and into the septic bed. Both the sludge and the scum stay inside the tank.

The liquid waste contains contaminants such as nitrates, phosphorus, disease causing bacteria and viruses, dissolved metals, detergents, and solvents. The septic bed acts as a leaching field. The idea is to have the phosphorus and dissolved metals bound by the soil, nitrates and solvents diluted in the groundwater, and bacteria and viruses filtered by the soil or die off. All this works only if the septic system was properly designed, and is properly maintained. If proper setbacks from the water are fully respected then the impacts on our waterways will be minimized.

NOTE: Septic systems regulations are part of the Building Code of Ontario which is administered by local municipalities. You need prior approval from your local municipality before you can undertake any septic system construction.

REQUIRED SETBACKS
Setback Allowances

SEPTIC INFORMATION
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has produced two excellent booklets about septic systems:

Septic Smart: Understanding Your Home Septic System is a great guide to conventional home septic systems (tank + leaching bed).

Septic Smart: Advanced Treatment Systems - Alernatives to Conventional Septic Systems deals with advanced and alternative systems approved by the Government of Ontario.

Both booklets are available in PDF format, in either English or French and can be viewed/downloaded from:

www.rvca.ca/news/septic_smart_index.html

Steps to a Healthy Septic System

Step 1 - Have your septic tank pumped out every three to five years

Over time, solid material settles out on the bottom of the tank and must be pumped out. If this sludge is left to accumulate, it may reach the outlet level and flow into the tile bed. This leads to plugged tiles, costly repairs and pollution. Regular pumping out of the tank is the most important step you can take to ensure the health of your lake or river.

Step 2 - Don't overload your septic system with water

Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when full and always use the cycle with the lowest number of rinses. Try to spread the washing out over several days. This will give the septic system more time to digest each litre of water. Think and practise water conservation. A septic tank needs at least 24 hours of water retention to work properly. A tank that is too small for a household, or one that has not been pumped out on a regular basis leads to septic system failure.

Step 3 - Don't give your septic system indigestion

Septic systems break down human waste very well. Anything else though is not welcome. Flushing even small amounts of paints, solvents, thinners, laundry bleach, caustic drain openers and toilet bowl cleaners or other chemicals can poison your tank. Use alternatives such as baking soda to clean your toilets and boiling water and/or a mechanical plunger to clear clogged drains.

In addition, a septic system is not a compost system. Kitchen waste should be put into an outdoor composter, not flushed down your sink. Items that don't break down easily, such as facial tissues, paper towels and tampons, should not be flushed down your toilet. It is important to educate visitors to your home, who may not be familiar with septic systems, about the dos and donts of your septic system.

Step 4 - Don't drive or park cars or heavy machinery on the septic bed

To work best, the system needs lots of air space in the soil. Heavy equipment can crush the pipes and compact the soil in the bed to such an extent that it can no longer filter and absorb the sewage nutrients. Grunge may ooze out somewhere and find its own way into the lake.

Step 5 - Don't plant trees or shrubs on or near the septic bed

Plant only grass or other shallow-rooted plants on top of the bed and anywhere within five metres of the tiles. Trees and shrubs, especially willows, poplars and sumac, are risky because their roots travel long distances looking for water. They can quickly clog your tile bed. The result is backup and unsocial surface seepage.

However, you should make sure there is lots of vegetation between the septic bed and the lake or river. A septic system must be located at least 30 metres from the water. Ensure that most of this area, except for the area adjacent (within 5 metres) of the bed is filled with trees, bushes, and grasses. These will suck up excess nutrients, aid in water retention, and prevent erosion.

Step 6 - Let your system grow with the family

Adding new items to your dwelling such as additional toilets, hot tubs and dishwashers may mean that you need a larger tile bed, and an upgraded septic tank. In addition, if your system was installed before 1975, it may not meet provincial requirements. Have it inspected by your local approval agency. Maintain records of the type, size, and exact location (a map) of your septic system.

It is also worth considering if you really need a septic system. If you don't live year-round at your lakeside dwelling and your water use is light, you may want to consider alternatives. There are composting and incinerating toilets available on the market that make no or minimal use of water. There is also the old standby, an outhouse. Grey water (sink, shower), if low enough in volume, can be handled by a leaching pit. These alternatives are worth considering.

Additives

In many stores you will find additives that claim to add microbes to your septic system to accelerate the breakdown of material and produce less sludge. Do NOT use them. The problem with these additives is that they work as advertised. They break the sludge down so that it can exit the outlet of your septic tank and flow into your leaching bed. This decreases the life of the leaching bed.

Let your sludge settle in the tank and pump it out every 3 - 5 years. You will maximize the life of your leaching bed if you only let clear effluent flow into it.

For more on-line information about septic systems, visit:

Note: Drawings on this page taken from "On the Waterfront" published by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and from "Septic Smart" published by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.