This document discusses different sewage disposal methods and their advantages and disadvantages. It describes on-site sewage disposal systems that use septic tanks and leach drains or French drains to treat sewage in the surrounding soil. It also discusses effluent disposal systems that transport treated sewage from a community to a central lagoon via pipes. Full sewage systems transport all sewage directly to a lagoon, with some options for pretreatment. The septic tank is used to separate solids from liquids before further treatment or disposal.
2. Sewage disposal
• There are different ways to dispose of sewage. Whichever method
is used, it is important to make sure that it does not:
• cause dangerous conditions which allow people to come into
contact with disease-causing germs
• cause pollution of a water supply
• allow the breeding of insects such as mosquitoes or cockroaches
which can carry disease-causing germs inside or on their bodies
as a result of eating or walking in sewage
• produce bad smells
3. SEWAGE
SYSTEMS
On site systems
Sewage or effluent systems
• Treats the sewage in a septic tank so that most of the sewage
becomes effluent and is disposed of in an area close to the
house or buildings.
• Example: A septic tank and leach drains
• A sewage or wastewater system disposes of the effluent from a
community at a central place usually called a sewage lagoon or
effluent pond. The sewage can be treated:
• in a septic tank at each building
• just before the lagoon in a large septic tank or macerator
system, or
• in the lagoon itself
4. On site disposal system
• All the liquid waste from the toilet,
bathroom, laundry and sink goes
into pipes which carry it to a
septic tank.
• The effluent from the tank is then
disposed of through effluent
disposal drains often referred to
as leach or French drains.
• In these systems, the effluent is
soaked into the surrounding soil.
Some soils don't allow good
soakage such as clay or similar
soils
Plan view of an on-site sewage disposal system
5. Leach drains
• A leach drain is a tube-like structure
which is made of concrete or plastic and
buried in the ground. There are holes in
the sides.
• Its width can vary and its length
depends upon the size of the leach
drain being used, the amount of liquid
waste to be disposed of, the type of soil
(dirt) around it, and how it is built.
Septic tanks and brick leach drain
• The liquid waste enters the leach drain at one end then slowly seeps down
through the open base and out the sides through holes into the surrounding soil.
Concrete segment leach drain
6. French (rubble) drains
• The French drain is also used to
dispose of the liquid waste coming from
the septic tank.
• It is a pipe with holes or slits cut in it,
laid on a bed of round rocks. The holes
or slits in the pipe face downwards.
• It is usually about 20 m long but the
length depends upon the amount of
effluent to be disposed of and the soil
type around the drain.
• The drain is covered with plastic or
some similar material and is then
covered with a protective layer of sand
or gravel.
• This helps prevent the pipe holes or the
gaps between the rocks from blocking
up with the protective sand or gravel.
French drain (Rubble drain)
7. Effluent (wastewater)
disposal system
• In this method the effluent from
the community is carried by
large pipes to the lagoon.
• These pipes serve all the
houses and other buildings in
the community.
• The sewage may be either be
treated in septic tanks at the
houses or buildings or at the
lagoon
• There are no leach or French
drains
Plan view of a wastewater disposal system
8. Full sewage system
• All the sewage from the toilet, shower,
laundry and other areas enters waste and
sewer pipes directly and is pumped to a
lagoon.
• There are three types of full sewage
system:
• The sewage enters the lagoon without
treatment
• The sewage goes through a series of
cutting blades which help break up the
solid matter before it enters the lagoon.
These blades are called macerators.
• The sewage may be treated in a large
septic tank just before it enters the
lagoon.
Plan view of full sewage system and macerators
Plan view of a full sewage system with a large septic tank
9. The septic tank
• A household septic tank usually consists of two round concrete tanks with lids placed close to
each other. They are connected by a pipe.
A round septic tank system
• A septic tank can also be a single
rectangular concrete tank with a
dividing wall in it. A rectangular
septic tank is designed to be used
by more than 10 people and is often
used for sewage treatment at a
lagoon.
• The tank is constructed on the site
where it is to be used.
A rectangular septic tank system