leech field

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

What’s new with leech field systems other than french drains?

[John Aldrich1Participant]

richard_sellin, there are several alternative leach field products on the market. My personal preference is a product manufactured by Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) called “SB*2” gravelless leach field tubing. I prefer this product because it comes with a geotextile fabric cover (Drain Guard) to prevent siltation of the void provided by the 10 inch corrugated polyethylene tubing. It is also flexible which allows for easy installation of leach field trenches along the contour of slopes. SB*2 can be installed in an 18 inch wide trench, but the installation is much easier if the trench is 24 inches wide.

Plastic leach field chambers are another product that are all the rage recently. ADS manufactures the chambers under the product name of “Bio-Diffuser Chambers”. Another manufacturer of chambers is Infiltrator Systems. There are a couple of other chamber manufacturers, but I have no personal experience with their products. If you choose to use a chamber leach field product, cover the side louvres with a sheet of geotextile to prevent siltation of the void. I sometimes specify chamber systems when site constraints make them more appropriate for a specific application. Most chamber system designs require a 36 inch wide trench, and this trench must be perfectly straight.

Another chamber manufacturer is Cultec, Inc. They produce 2 different chambers systems. The “Recharger”, and the “Contactor”. I have not used either of these products.

Another alternative leach field product currently on the market is the “EZflow Drainfield System”. I have no personal experience with this product as it is not marketed in Colorado, nor is it an approved alternative in Colorado, but it appears to be a suitable, and better alternative to a stone and perf pipe leach field system.

All of these products are better than a traditional stone and perf pipe leach field, but more important than the choice of alternative leach field product is the design of the leach field itself. Alternating leach fields, with 50% of the required leach field area in each field, is more important than the choice of material used in the leach field construction. Filtered septic tank effluent flow is alternated, with the use of a diversion valve, from one field to the other on an annual basis. Monitoring and ventilation ports installed to the ground surface on each end of each field are another important design feature.

You can view these products on the following websites:

http//www.ads-pipe.com

http//www.infiltratorsystems.com/

http//www.cultec.com

I could not locate a website address for EZflow Drainfield Systems, but their address and phone number are:

EZflow
65 Industrial Park
Oakland, TN 38060
(877) 368 8294

John Aldrich
Septic System Consultant
Timnath, Colorado
[email protected]

[Author]

Posts