It goes without saying that proper sewage disposal facilities are a must for any home, and homes that cannot be linked to main sewer systems commonly use septic tanks to disposed of bathroom waste and blackwater. However, conventional septic tank systems aren't right for every home, and man homeowners choose septic tanks with added sand filters to help improve their day-to-day performance.

What are sand filtered septic systems? 

Conventionally, a septic tank drains its filtered wastewater into a large section of ground known as a leech field. The mass of soil surrounding a septic tanks usually functions as an effective water filter, removing impurities and contaminants from the wastewater your septic tank produces before allowing it to return to local waterways and groundwater tables.

However, some potential leech fields consist of soils with poor filtration characteristics, while other homes require septic tanks to be placed in areas too small to permit thorough soil filtration of their waste water. In these circumstances, sand filtered septic systems come to the rescue.

These systems use the superb filtration properties of sharp sand to supplement their internal filters, and the wastewater outflow of a sand filtered system is surrounded by large deposits of tightly packed sand when initially installed. This 'filter' can dramatically improve the performance of a septic system, and is well worth the extra investment for many homeowners.

What are the advantages of choosing a sand filtered septic system?

Reduced ground space required

A conventional leech field needs to be quite expansive to ensure wastewater is properly filtered before it returns to the environment. Since sand is a more potent filtration medium than most naturally occurring soils, a leech field supplemented with sand filters needs much less ground area to be effective. This makes sand filters particularly useful for septic tanks located on small plots of land, or land close to environmentally sensitive areas such as waterways and old growth forests.

Superior water filtration

Wastewater filtered through a well-constructed sand filter is considerably cleaner than wastewater filtered through all but the largest conventional leech fields. It is so clean, in fact, that it can be used to irrigate your plants and lawns without the risk of contamination. Sand filtered septic systems are therefore excellent for the homeowner looking to reduce their water usage, making your home more environmentally friendly while saving you money on water bills.

Does not require energy to run

Unless other septic tank filtration systems, sand filtered do not require any sort of power supply to function effectively. This makes them an extremely environmentally friendly option when combined with their irrigation capabilities. It also allows your septic tank to function effectively even during extended power outages, making sand filtered systems ideal for isolated homes far from extensive power facilities and infrastructure.