As the name suggests, to maximize the treatment of the wastewater before it sends back into the soil, it releases a small amount of wastewater at a time.
If your home is not connected to the city sewage system or it’s located very close to the wet areas, a drip septic system is a good alternative to conventional septic systems.
Yes, there are some drip septic system problems that need your attention as well. So, let’s talk about some pros and cons of drip septic system to see whether it will work for you or not.
A Quick Summary of Drip Septic System
First of all, it’s more complex than the conventional septic system. And since this is not the only alternative, it’s just smart to check all the ins and outs of this system.
Here is a table containing the benefits and problems with a drip septic system:
| Pros | Cons |
| Better control. | Highly expensive. |
| Suitable with the higher water table. | Lots of components are involved. |
| No need to pump the tank. | Lots of maintenance work. |
| Environment-friendly. | Not suitable for a smaller property. |
Let’s talk about them in detail.
Advantages of Drip Septic System
There are some reasons why so many people prefer the drip septic system over other alternatives. Let’s check a few of them:
- Works With Raised Water Table
In areas with underground high water tables, a conventional septic system won’t work because it will be quite difficult for the septic tank to be seated firmly underground.
But among other alternatives, a drip septic system works better in such areas. Because with a residential drip septic system, the tank does not need to be seated that far underground.
So, a higher underground water table is no concern for a drip septic system whereas for other septic systems, it’s a big issue.
- Greater Control Treating Wastewater
With a conventional septic system, you literally don’t have any control regarding how much wastewater is being released into the soil. But with a drip septic system, you have that control!
In fact, this system comes with a control panel to monitor the daily wastewater flow, changes in pressure, temperature.
That panel lets you know how well the system is performing overall. It will alarm the sound whenever there is a problem in the system.
- No Need For Hiring Any Pumping Service
With a conventional septic system, you must pump the tank every 2 or 3 years to keep it functioning. It involves a lot of cost and hassle!
This is not the case for the residential drip septic system. The drip system alone can slowly empty the small holding tank. So, you don’t have to pay serious attention in this regard.
- Environment-friendly
When wastewater gets released into the soil without being treated, it contaminates the water and environment at large.
Releasing the wastewater into the soil only after being treated well is the whole point of using a residential drip septic system.
As the water is slowly released, the dispersal system can treat the water really well.
Drip Septic System Problems
As I said above, no septic system comes without any issues. Likewise, there are some disadvantages of having a residential drip septic system as well.
Let’s see how serious those problems are:
- Highly Expensive
With a strictly tight budget, the higher price tag of the drip system is a major disadvantage. Apart from the initial higher cost, you will need to buy supplies to treat the water as well.
So, not ideal for homeowners with a tight budget!
- Required Many Components
When you compare it to a traditional septic system, it requires a lot more components than that. That’s a big downfall for this system.
In addition to several distribution lines, you will need a pump, a smallholding tank, and some other stuff.
Also, being 3 different systems in one, it involves a lot of labor works. Hence, it requires a higher installation cost as well.
- Higher Maintenance Works
With delicate components come delicate maintenance works. And a drip septic system requires a lot of such maintenance works!
With a conventional septic system, the major maintenance work is pumping out the tank every 2 or 3 years. Whereas a drip septic system, needs to be regularly monitored, cleaned, and you need to change the filters as well.
But I need to be clear here. Other alternatives like mound septic systems have the same problem as well!
- Not Suitable For Smaller Property
The distribution lines of the drip system need to be routed far away from the house. So, you need a bigger property to make it work.
Alternatively, you can get a permit to use someone else’s property to run the distribution system.
Drip Septic System Maintenance Tips
It’s a recommended septic system for anyone who can maintain it properly. The control panel alone will keep it out of trouble for a long time.
But you should ensure the following at least:
- Check the entire system at least annually. To be on the safe side, the treatment tank needs to be maintained every 6 months.
- Don’t flush feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, baby wipes, paper towels, or anything that can potentially clog or damage the system.
- Never use any chemical products or toxic cleaning products to avoid damaging the biological ecosystem of the septic system. Don’t let the septic system cleaners and other pharmaceutical products kill the working bacteria.
- Make sure the control panel, tank, and lids are safe from any potential damages.
- Don’t drive any heavy machinery over the tank. Be extra careful with your weed eater and lawn mower near the system.
- Check the absorption area every 6 months. Check whether the air releases valves are working properly or not.
- Keep records of inspections, repairs, pump outs, and so on.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
With the right maintenance in regular intervals, it should last 25 to 30 years.
To properly treat the wastewater before releasing it to the soil, the drip emitters (orifices/perforations) are placed at intervals of 12 – 24 inches. To allow the system to backflush automatically, the tubing is connected to a feed line and a return line.
Closing Remarks
Choosing any septic system is a challenging task for every homeowner. When you are not able to get the conventional ones, it gets super crazy!
Like every alternative to a traditional septic system, a drip septic system has pros and cons as well. And to be frank, it’s a little bit more complex and requires higher maintenance.
But to treat the wastewater nice and clean before releasing it to your soil, it’s great! Just make sure to follow the tips mentioned above and you will be good to go.
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