Septic System Design

Technical aspects:
What is your definition of high strength wastewater?
What are some of the salient features of your initial site evaluation?
When designing for a restaurant, do you get involved with planning of the kitchen/cooking area? If so, what do you call for and what’s your guideline?
Do you get involved with employee training, i.e., with their cooking, cleaning and washing procedures? If so, what do you advise?
Do you get involved with the planning of the rough-in plumbing of a proposed establishment? What do you recommend and why?
What grease separation procedures do you recommend, including those that are not in on-site regulations?
What grease separation/removal units do you call for within the establishment and what guideline do you use for this? Do you call for heaters?
How do you plan for and treat high temperatures? Grease emulsifiers? Toxic chemical degreasers?
How do you size the (outside) grease interceptor? Design it? Decide where to place it? Do you like to use multiple interceptors? Do you dose from the interceptor to the flow equalization tank? Do you call for an effluent filter at its outlet?
How do you design your flow equalization tanks? (where, what sizing, how constructed) Dosing pumps?
When a lift station is needed, what dosing procedure(s) do you use?
Do you split the effluent to different treatment units? Why? How do you determine your dosage amounts?
What treatment do you call for and why?
What type of disinfectant mechanisms do you call for? When and why?
How do you design your pump tanks (where, what sizing, how constructed)?
How do you design your effluent pumps? Set your floats? Dose? Go through a filter? Keep track of actual effluent volumes?
How do you handle zoning of the recycling section out of the pump tanks?
Do you usually use surface application or underground recycling? Why?
Do you use drip irrigation? Why or why not?
What other forms of recycling do you use and why?
Do you do long term monitoring of the system yourself? What do you do?
Do you always call for a water meter on the incoming water line to the building or the outlet of the treatment disposal tank?
What long-term monitoring of the system’s performance do you call for? How is it enforced?
What is your role and your liability when design capacities are exceeded?
Structural aspects:
How much “general construction” specifications do you include with your on-site design?
What guidelines do you use? Do you have personal construction experience or training for this?
How much detail (and liability) do you address in electrical wiring, components, construction and setting of tanks, pipe connections, etc.?
Do you field inspect every commercial design you do to ensure compliance with all technical and structural specs?
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