Septic Field Issues. "Septic Field Replacement Alternatives"

With the recent heavy rain conditions, New Jersey residents have been experiencing issues with their septic systems. A lot of homeowners are not receiving accurate assessments of the condition of the system. When a septic systems field becomes saturated, homeowners are being told that field replacement is the only answer. This is not true. The following is an alternative measure to field replacement. The Terralift soil fracturing system  when used with our patented restoration procedure is an excellent cost-effective alternative to entire field replacement. The restoration procedure is also attractive because there is virtually no damage to your  lawn. It is also an extremely environmentally friendly project. The procedure is completed in one day and has less than 11% of the emissions signature that is emitted from a normal field replacement project.When a  on-lot wastewater system is suffering a field malfunction. This situation is caused mainly by two scenarios (excluding broken or missing components). The first scenario is that the soil is getting clogged because the solid waste has found its way into the drainage field. The solid waste particles find their way down into the select fill and begin clogging it, working its way up towards the ground surface until it reaches a point that the water can no longer flow through it. The second scenario is that the certified fill that was initially put into the field has either been compacted or is suffering a malfunction because of its original quarry processing.

There are two ways to rectify this problem. The first method is to excavate the field down to a level that will remove the malfunctioning material. Once the material is removed, new select fill needs to be put back into the system as well as replacement of the laterals and possibly the distribution box. The problem with this method is that it is extremely costly. It will require an engineer's sign-off in order to obtain the appropriate permits. It will also require disposal of the human-waste-contaminated soil that is being removed from the field. I do not recommend leaving this material on site or burying it on site. There is also the issue of extreme ground disturbance that is necessary in order to complete the project. A new field replacement/repair will not come with any warranty of longevity. They are only guaranteed as per design.

The second method, which is Terralift septic field restoration. It consists of an evacuation of solids and liquids located in the holding tank, distribution box, and laterals. Once the system is evacuated, a line camera locator is inserted through all accessible lines for inspection and location purposes. The distribution box is located and opened for inspection. All exiting laterals are located and thoroughly cleaned using a low pressure hydro jetting system. Waste product is once again evacuated from the lines and distribution box and transferred into the holding tank. The camera locator is once again inserted into all laterals for location purposes. The laterals are located and a grid map is then designed so that a soil fracturing procedure can commence. At this point a probe is inserted throughout the field at various locations to determine the depth that the fracturing procedure will occur. The entire field is then equally fractured. The probe that is inserted into the field injects a bacteria enzyme and polystyrene granules into the field. The non-collapsible granules that are injected into the field are used to keep the water passages open once they are fractured. The bacteria enzyme is designed to eat up and remove any waste matter that may be clinging to the soil in the field. Once the aeration procedure is completed, the system is flow-checked and leveled at the distribution box. The entire system is then treated with a bacteria enzyme to assure proper functioning. When the procedure is completed, the entire system will be functioning as per design, without the field malfunctioning. The procedure comes with a 2-year warranty. It also includes a 12-month supply bacteria enzyme for the system.The soil fracturing assures that the entire field is functioning and flowing equally. This is extremely difficult to achieve when doing a field replacement, due to the inconsistencies that occur in select fill. There is also the issue of excavation on site. If the price you were quoted is for a partial field replacement, it is likely the existing portion of the field will have issues in the near future because of the potential of compaction while excavating and refilling the absorption area.

The Terra-lift septic field restoration procedure comes with a 3-year warranty.  This procedure does not require excavation. The only excavation that will occur is exposing the lid of the distribution box and holding tank (if applicable). It is a one-day procedure. It needs to be understood that the aeration procedure, when combined with the steps listed above, is not a temporary fix. All of the issues with the system will be addressed and corrected.(The above description is based on a conventional gravity fed system. Seepage pits and non-conventional systems are addressed on a site by site basis)Always explore all of your options before considering a full system replacement. Septic systems are not as complicated as one would think and usually can be repaired.

Aero-Stream or Terralift: Which is better?