A Conventional System
WHAT IS THAT?
Most everyone has heard of a Conventional Septic System, especially living in Texas. However, not many people know what it actually means. As you can guess, these are the more traditional types of systems and are typically the most commonly used technology designed to treat wastewater.
Basically, a conventional, gravity flow system relies on just that. Gravity. It’s divided up into multiple tanks or compartments and then is redistributed in a safe manner. Simple, right? Well, not really. You would actually be amazed at the level of science, engineering, and biology that goes into the development of every system, even the conventional ones.
PROS of a Conventional System
- Soil, or nature, provide most of the treatment. Nothing is better or healthier than using nature’s natural processes. This system embraces the natural biology of soil and utilizes science in order to kill excess bacteria and pathogens, before redistributing.
- Typically, conventional systems are the most affordable. Because of its design and how the system works, Conventional systems are typically the most inexpensive to install and to operate.
- Conventional systems afford reliability. A conventional system, if properly installed and designed, is one of the most environmentally safe and reliable systems on the market. Nearly everyone in the industry would agree that conventional systems are one of the best options in onsite disposal.
CONS of a Conventional System
- The types of soils that a conventional system can be installed in are VERY SPECIFIC. This means if your property has clay soil, shallow soils, or different types of soils that can become too saturated or if waste can reach the water table before being adequately treated (in gravel soils or fractured rock), a conventional system isn’t for you.
- Your system has to fit the size of your house. If you don’t have a system that is big enough to support the number of bedrooms and baths you have, you can run into serious issues. This is also important if you add on to an existing structure. Your drain field must be of adequate size for your home. In some cases, there is just not enough area to support a conventional system.
