Rural, Onsite & Small Community Wastewater & Waste Engineering Designing Soil Based Systems
Site & Soil Assessment Results Mapping Unit Wea Soil type at site Wea Gravelly sand at 66 inches 0 - 3% slope At 18 inch depth - loam, moderate structure
Septic System
Leach Field
Wastewater Volume 120 gallons/bedroom 3 bedroom home 3 * 120 = 360 gpd
Linear Loading Rate Based on nature of limiting condition Gravelly loam (c) gpd/lf
Linear Loading Rate
Basal Loading Rate Based on characteristics at trench depth (18 inches) Loam, moderate structure (I) 0.6 gpd/ft2
Basal Loading Rate gpd/ft 2 A. Is the horizon gravelly coarse sand or coarser? 0.0 B. Is consistence stronger than firm or hard, or any cemented class?0.0 C. Is texture sandy clay, clay or silty clay of high clay content and structure massive or weak, or silt loam and structure massive? 0.0 D. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure massive?0.0 E. Is texture sandy clay, clay or silty clay of low clay content and structure moderate or strong? 0.2 F. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure weak? 0.2 G. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure moderate or strong? 0.4 H. Is texture sandy loam, loam, or silt loam and structure weak? 0.4 I. Is texture sandy loam, loam, or silt loam and structure moderate or strong?0.6 J. Is texture fine sand, very fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand? 0.6 K. Is texture coarse sand with single grain structure? 0.8
Soil Absorption System Design Wastewater volume Linear loading rate Basal loading rate
System Width Long & thin along the contour of lot System width = linear loading rate / basal loading rate System Width = 10 gpd/ft / 0.6 gpd/ft2 System Width = 17 feet
System Length As long as possible System length = Wastewater volume / Linear loading rate System Length = 360 gpd / 10 gpd/ft System Length = 36 feet
Number of Trenches Backhoe bucket width - 2 ft No. of trenches = System width / Bucket width No. of trenches = 17 ft / 2 ft = 9 trenches
Soil Absorption System 9 trenches each 2 feet wide 36 feet long.
Site & Soil Assessment Results Mapping unit Kendallville Soil type at site Miamian Dense till at 28 inches 2-4% slope Surface horizon - silt loam, moderate structure
Mound System
Wastewater Volume 120 gallons/bedroom 3 bedroom home 3 * 120 = 360 gpd
Linear Loading Rate Based on nature of limiting condition Moderately dense till (b) gpd/lf
Linear Loading Rate
Basal Loading Rate Based on characteristic of surface horizon Silt loam, moderate structure (I) 0.6 gpd/ft2
Basal Loading Rate gpd/ft 2 A. Is the horizon gravelly coarse sand or coarser? 0.0 B. Is consistence stronger than firm or hard, or any cemented class?0.0 C. Is texture sandy clay, clay or silty clay of high clay content and structure massive or weak, or silt loam and structure massive? 0.0 D. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure massive?0.0 E. Is texture sandy clay, clay or silty clay of low clay content and structure moderate or strong? 0.2 F. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure weak? 0.2 G. Is texture sandy clay loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and structure moderate or strong? 0.4 H. Is texture sandy loam, loam, or silt loam and structure weak? 0.4 I. Is texture sandy loam, loam, or silt loam and structure moderate or strong?0.6 J. Is texture fine sand, very fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand? 0.6 K. Is texture coarse sand with single grain structure? 0.8
Mound System Design Wastewater volume Linear loading rate Basal loading rate
Sand Width Long & thin along the contour of lot Abs. Area Width = linear loading rate / sand fill loading rate Abs. Area fill loading rate = 1 gpd/ft2 Abs. Area Width = 6 gpd/ft / 1 gpd/ft2 Abs. Area Width = 6 feet
Mound Size
Sand Length As long as possible Abs. Area Length = Wastewater volume / Linear loading rate Abs. Area Length = 360 gpd / 6 gpd/ft Abs. Area Length = 60 feet
Sand Height Sand + soil = 4 feet Sand height = 4 ft - soil depth Sand height = 4 ft - 28 inches Sand height = 48 inches - 28 inches Sand height = 20 inches
Sand Height down slope Sand height down slope = height upslope + slope * width Sand height down slope = 20 inches * 6 ft Sand height down slope = 20 in * 72 in Sand height down slope = 23 inches
Overall Mound Size Wastewater distribution system 9 inches on top of sand Aggregate or chambers
Cover with soil fill Insulate - protect from freezing 12 inches Shed water - crown top Additional 6 inches Cover soil to prevent breakout at mound toe Based on basal loading rate Slope sides for safety when mowing
Overall Mound Height Mound height = sand + aggregate + insulating soil fill + crown Mound height = 20 in + 9 in + 12 in + 6 in Mound height = 47 inches at top Mound height at downslope sand edge = 23 in + 9 in + 12 in Mound height at downslope sand edge = 44 inches
Width to avoid breakout at toe Basal width = Linear loading rate / basal loading rate Basal width = 6 gpd/ft / 0.6 gpd/ft2 Basal width = 10 feet
Safety for mowing 3:1 slope Slope drops 1 foot in 3 feet
3:1 slope 1 ft 3 ft
Overall Mound Width Mound width = Abs. Area width + upslope width + downslope width Upslope width = side slope * mound height * slope corr. Upslope width = 3 * 47 inches * 0.89 = 126 inches Downslope width = side slope * downslope height * slope corr. Downslope width = 3 * 44 inches * 1.14 = 151 in
Slope Correction Slope %Downslope Corr. factor Upslope Corr. factor
Overall Mound Width Mound width = Abs. Area width + upslope width + downslope width Mound width = 6 ft in in Mound width = 72 in in in Mound width = 352 inches = 29 feet
Overall Mound Length Mound length = Abs. Area length + 2 * endslope length Endslope length = 3 * mound height Endslope length = 3 * 47 in Endslope length = 141 inches = 12 feet Mound length = 60 feet + 2 * 12 feet Mound length = 84 feet
Overall Mound Size 84 feet long along the contour 29 feet wide covers basal width of 10 feet
Reading Crites & Tchobanoglous Burkes & Minnis Bull 813 Mound Systems for Onsite Wastewater Treatment AEX 743 Septic tank - Soil Absorption Systems AEX 744 Septic tank - Mound Systems