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If you’re rethinking your home’s wastewater solution, septic installation offers a few surprising benefits, especially if you live outside of municipal reach or care about your carbon footprint. This guide highlights the differences between the two most popular septic system types — conventional and mound — to help you determine which is better suited for your property.

Conventional Septic Systems

The conventional septic system design, with a septic tank and gravel drain field, is used by single-family homes and small businesses across the country. When wastewater leaves the house, it flows into the septic tank, where solids, fats, grease, and oil are filtered out. The remaining effluent is pushed into the drain field for additional microbe filtration before returning to the ground. 

septic installationThese septic systems require annual maintenance and inspections, but pumping is usually only necessary every three to five years. Most conventional septic systems are pressurized, meaning that they require a power source. Systems can run on either a syphon or a pump to operate. 

Homeowners considering a conventional system may have to alter their water habits. Flooding the system could cause sewage to back up into the home or overflow onto the lawn. For septic installation, these systems should be placed an adequate distance from water wells, trees, driveways, and other large structures. 

Mound Septic Systems

A mound system is a useful solution for properties that have poor soil absorption, high groundwater, or shallow soil covering bedrock or clay. They, too, are made up of a septic tank and drain field, but mound systems also use an electric pump chamber. This allows the system to handle a large amount of effluent without the need for extra square footage.

Additionally, instead of the typical drain field, the filtration trench is built into a mound of sand and gravel primarily above the ground. This provides more soil for the effluent to pass through, so any contaminants are removed before it returns to the groundwater. The extra earth prevents the wastewater from flooding an area with a low absorption rate. 

The construction of a mound system limits how much of your property is used for the septic tank. Extra materials are also needed to build the mound. This, plus the cost of electricity to run the pumps, makes these setups cost more to install and use. Additionally, if any leaking is detected, the mound might have to be partially or entirely rebuilt.

 

If you’ve decided on a system and are ready for septic installation, turn to the professionals at Valley Excavating. Since 1995, this family-owned and -operated excavation company has provided trusted and personalized services to Flathead County, MN. Their team has over 40 years of experience and can handle any project big or small, including land clearing, road building and maintenance, and complete site preparation. Call them today at (406) 857-2086 to receive a free, no-obligation quote, and visit their website to learn more about their services.

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