Hundreds of communities within the State of Pennsylvania currently use an Individual On-lot Sewage System. The number of sewage systems in each community ranges from one to over 1,500. Household sewage systems are relied upon to properly treat and dispose of wastewater in areas that are not accessible to a public sanitary sewer. Many of these existing systems have been in use for decades and may not be capable of properly treating sewage prior to discharging an effluent to the environment.

How great thou problem of inadequate sewage treatment? You may read it here:  SWIMMING IN SEWAGE

REF:  NRDC/EIP Report: Swimming in Sewage: Frequently Asked Questions
         Contact: NRDC: Nancy Stoner, 202-289-2394
         Environmental Integrity Project: Michele Merkel, 202-263-4452"
It is our responsibility to correct existing, implement new and educate our neighbors to protect our environment and future generations. Most of the responsibilities are burdened on your local Sewage Enforcement Officer, SEO. The SEO permits the installation of new sewage systems, inspects existing systems and conducts lot reviews of undeveloped property - all under the Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Environmental Protection, Ch. 71 - 73 code.

Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Environmental Protection, Ch. 71 - 73

This current law provides a comprehensive sewage planning mechanism to identify and resolve existing sewage disposal problems, to avoid potential sewage problems resulting from new land development and to provide for the future sewage disposal needs of a municipality. Specifically, it establishes the requirements:
  • for revising sewage facilities plans,
  • for evaluating alternatives for sewage facilities,
  • for establishing sewage management programs,
  • for the review fees of new land development sewage facilities planning modules,
  • for permitting the installation of individual and community onlot sewage systems,
  • to provide reliable sewage disposal facilities that will protect the public health and prevent pollution,
  • for administration of permitting functions by local agencies and sewage enforcement officers,
  • for certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers,
  • to sewage enforcement officers administering the act, as well as to persons installing individual onlot sewage systems
The bottom line: "A person planning or designing a facility or intending to utilize individual or community sewage systems is advised of the importance of good water conservation practices and the potential value of water conservation, recycle or reuse systems as a means of prolonging the life of the sewage system, as well as ensuring the availability of adequate water supplies in the future."

Sewage System Design - essential part of Land Development

Before investing in a property for a home or business, the purchaser needs to be sure that the site can qualify for an onlot sewage system.  When evaluating a site for an onlot sewage system, the SEO will consider three factors:.
  • Slope of the sewage absorption area
  • Isolation Distances from potential contamination
  • Soil Suitabilty for absorption, dispersion and renovation of sewage effluent
  • Sewage Flows of dwelling type and size
  • Percolation rates that sewage effluent moves through the soil
There are other numerous factors that contribute to a sewage system design, system components, distribution methods, construction types, etc.; but for the most part, they can be described as follows:

FILTER BED SYSTEMS
Household sewage systems utilizing a subsurface filter bed have been installed for decades.  For many years, these systems utilized gravel as the media through which the sewage would be filtered.  Unfortunately, these older systems did not function well and did not have the ability to properly filter sewage prior to discharging an effluent to the environment.  Modern filter bed systems now utilize state-approved filter sand as the filtration media.  The sand has a filtration capability which is far superior to that of gravel.

AEROBIC SYSTEMS
If you utilize an aerobic system, special care and maintenance is necessary.  The motor that provides aeration to the system must operate continuously.  If it does not, the oxygen level required by the microorganisms which thrive in the aeration unit will not be sufficient and they will begin to die.  These "sewage bugs" help to break down the organic matter in the wastewater and biologically convert it to stable substances in the form of liquids and gases.  The aeration and mixing of the wastewater insures that it comes in contact with the microorganisms so thorough treatment can occur.  Loss of suitable aeration will result in little or no sewage treatment taking place within the aeration unit.

LEACHING TILE FIELDS
The typical household sewage system installed throughout the country for decades has utilized a septic tank and a leaching tile field.  By design, the sewage flows from the tank to the leaching area where it drains from clay tile or perforated pipes laid in gravel trenches.  The wastewater then enters the soil where it must be properly filtered, distributed, and absorbed so that it does not pose a contamination threat to groundwater.  Leaching systems can function well in areas with well drained soils.  Unfortunately, much of Western Pennsylvania consists of poorly drained shale soils that have very little absorption capacity.

E-T (evapo-transpiration) FIELDS
Leaching systems may need to be installed at a shallower depth due to shallow bedrock or elevated groundwater conditions.  These systems are designed with wider trenches which utilize evaporation to the air and transpiration to grasses and plants to help dispose of the wastewater.  These systems are often called E-T (evapo-transpiration) systems.  Just like conventional leaching systems, they incorporate a distribution system of perforated pipes which disperse wastewater throughout a series of gravel trenches.  A series of distribution boxes assist in evenly spreading the flow throughout all of the trenches in the system.

SAND MOUND SYSTEMS
The mound system was originally developed in the early 1970's in the State of Wisconsin.  The system has been widely accepted across the United States, especially in areas with slowly permeable soils, shallow bedrock, or high seasonal water tables.  This design utilizes a soil absorption system constructed above grade.  Sand fill is used to enhance treatment of the wastewater prior to entering the natural soil at the site.

DRIP DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
Drip Distribution Systems are installed very shallow in the soil, at the surface of the ground or on top of a bed of sand, depending on the specific limiting conditions on the property.  The systems are pressurized to ensure the even distribution of wastewater into the soil, utilizing small diameter tubing with pressure compensating emitters to apply wastewater uniformly over an infiltration surface.

ANA's Sewage System Services

Mr. Tomislav Novosel is a certified Sewage Enforcement Officer with the State of Pennsylvania.  As an SEO, Mr. Novosel's services will provide you with all applicable sewage system investigation, analysis and design.

Before you purchase a property, please contact us for your  Soil  Investigation  Analysis !

Before you give-up on your property, please contact us for  Other Alternatives !

Contact us for all of your  Sewage System Designs !