Are septic systems failing?
Septic tanks or aeration systems are not able to provide consistent and complete treatment that would be necessary to discharge directly to a stream. Therefore, tile dissipation fields are required for new residential septic systems. The small lot sites (1 acre) in Rustic Hills, along with the steep topography on many sites, do not allow for the construction of tile fields. In addition, the stiff clay soils in the area require larger tile fields because the clay does not permit the water to percolate through the soil as fast as a more granular soil would allow. For these reasons, the majority of septic systems in Rustic Hills consist of aerated package systems that discharge partially treated wastewater to common drain tiles that discharge to a creek or pond. The Health Department Inspectors cannot view or sample the discharge as there is no access to the discharge point. Therefore, they are limited to checking for aerator operation, odors, and surfacing septage from broken tile lines.
