What Is a Septic Mound?

If you’re not familiar with septic tanks or septic and dewatering services in Bethel, OH, you may not know what a septic mound is. Keep reading to understand better how a septic mound works, when it’s used and how to know if this system is right for your home or business.

The mound system

The septic mound system is a drain field that operates as a place to treat wastewater, often found in places that don’t have access to city sewage systems. These replace traditional septic system drain fields. These septic system drain fields may be prone to failure because of too-permeable soils, or soils that aren’t permeable enough, porous bedrock or soils that have a high seasonal water table. The mound systems used today are used when soils are highly permeable and water can’t purify as quickly as it could under better conditions.

The purpose of the septic mound

Residences or commercial lots with septic mounds include the septic tank, a dosing chamber and the septic mound. The waste from the property is first sent to the septic tank, where solids settle to the bottom of the tank. The rest is sent to a second tank called the dosing chamber. Here it’s sent in doses at a metered rate to the septic mound. As it moves through the mound, its partially treated. However, the final treatment and disposal happens in the soil beneath the mound. The mound aids in dealing with the liquid waste because it is handled in doses, leading to better and more thorough cleaning. This also helps to keep the system working the way it’s supposed to, rather than failing, as some traditional septic systems do in less-than-ideal ground conditions.

How it works

The mound, as park of septic and dewatering services in Bethel, OH, is built in layers at different depths. These depths are determined by the seasonal water table, type of soil or other standards. Then, a layer of very specifically sized sand is placed on top of the natural soil, which needs to be 24 inches above the top layer of the septic mound. The pipes that send the doses from the dosing chamber to the mound lie in this top layer of sand, between gravel.

The purification of the liquid waste is done by a biofilm in the loose fill surrounding the drain tile. That’s why the permeability of the soil is so important. If it’s too low, the liquid is not absorbed fast enough, and if it’s too high, the wastewater penetrates to the water table below before the biofilm can purify it. This leads to contamination. The mound provides the right amount of time for the biofilm to purify the water before it exits.

Septic systems and wastewater issues are something that no family or business wants to deal with. Gullett Sanitation Services Inc. is the number one name for septic systems and dewatering services in Bethel, OH. We’ve been proudly serving residential and commercial customers since 1942, and are your source for any and all wastewater services, from dewatering of sludge and slurries to service and repairs on residential septic systems. We provide services for any issue to resolve them quickly and effectively.

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