What is an On-site Sewage System?
Also known as a septic system, OSS are designed to help prevent the spread of disease and illness by collecting, treating, and disposing of wastewater from a home or business into the native soils nearby. An OSS typically consists of a septic tank and a drainfield. Alternative systems may be required in areas where the soil depth and type do not allow a conventional gravity fed system. These types are: • Pressure Distribution • Sand Filters and Sand-lined Drainfield Trenches • Aerobic Treatment Units • Others, such as the Glendon Biofilters and Drip Irrigation. The Septic Tank Typically, the septic tank is a large container made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene which is buried in the ground. All of the wastewater from a home or business is routed to the septic tank for “primary treatment”, which is a filtering process whereby heavy solids are allowed to settle and floating solids are trapped by the baffles within the tank. The result is clarified liquid called “effluent” which
