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 a septic system sketch that helps understand conventional tank and drain field design. Private Sewage Disposal Systems - Septic Drawing Library

Septic system drawings:

Here are some sketches explaining septic system components and installations. These septic system illustrations help readers understand, identify, and possibly even locate buried onsite wastewater disposal and septic tank equipment at properties.

Some of the illustrations also show why septic systems, particularly drainfields may not be working. These drawings are for educational purposes and are not engineering plans or specifications.

Click on the thumbnail sketches below to see each full-sized illustration. This website is provided as a non-profit public educational service - intended for on-line study.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Septic System Illustrations, Sketches, Design Layout Drawings & Examples

The color sketches below are courtesy of Purdue's Environmental Education Software Series. Educational software on diskettes is available from the Farm Building Plan Service, 1146 AGEN Building, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN. The black and white sketches are courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates.

The illustrations are shown here for educational purposes - are all © copyright protected and may not be duplicated or reproduced in any fashion, printed or electronic, without prior written permission.

BASIC LAND FORMS

The contents & illustrations seen here are all © copyright protected - If you see our material elsewhere please let us know.

Basic Landforms

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Basic landforms.

Water Table 1

Leaching bed effluent distribution schema


Water Table 2

Water table well below leaching beds


Water Table 3

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High clay, likely problems of limited capacity


Water Table 4

Mounding water table subverts leaching bed

Residential Septic Tanks

Septic tank

A typical septic tank , cross section.

Septic sketch 1

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Two types of commonly-used pre-cast concrete septic tanks, in cross-section.
Sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, Toronto, Ontario

Septic System Distribution Boxes (D-Boxes) & Lines

Absorption Field

Typical absorption field (aka leach field, leaching bed).


Distribution Box

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Distribution Box typical location.


Trench cross section

Plan view gives cross section of typical leaching bed trench.


Septic sketch 1

Isometric sketch of tank and distribution lines, gives an idea why you need a distribution box.

Septic Effluent Absorption Systems - Leach Fields, Seepage Pits, etc

Click on the thumbnail sketches below to see each full-sized illustration.

Septic sketch 1

A somewhat unusual view from the "far-end" of a typical tank and leaching-bed system.

Photograph of  a septic effluent seepage pit

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Elevation-view sketch of a tank and drywell or leaching pit or "seepage pit" system used at some older homes. In this illustration the seepage pit is being used to dispose of septic effluent from a septic tank.

Photograph of  a seepage pit used as a drywell for graywater

Elevation-view sketch of a drywell or leaching pit or "seepage pit" system used for gray water.

In this illustration the seepage pit is being used to dispose of graywater from non-sewage carrying drains such as a laundry, sink, or shower.

Drywells to handle graywater separately from blackwater (sewage) are often used to reduce the water load on septic systems which have a limited effluent handling capacity. If the pit shown in this sketch were receiving sewage and blackwater from a building we would call it a cesspool, not a drywell.


Sketch of common residential tank and leach-field layout

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Elevation-view and a second, plan-view sketch of common residential tank and leach-field layout.

The septic consultants who are listed

at SEPTIC CONSULTANTS, DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS can provide that service for both traditional and alternative onsite waste disposal system designs.

The illustrations are shown here for educational purposes - are all © copyright protected and may not be duplicated or reproduced in any fashion, printed or electronic, without prior written permission.

Septic Design Drawings & Plans Resources

Design Manuals for Septic Systems

 


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Continue reading  at SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see SEPTIC DRAWINGS FAQs - questions and answers about septic design specs and drawings posted originally on this page

Or see these

Recommended Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

SEPTIC DRAWINGS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to SEPTIC SYSTEMS

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Citations & References

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