Since the 1960s, technology has existed to clean up wastewater BEFORE it can contaminate the environment. The first pre-treatment units were used on naval ships. The wastewater was then dispensed into the ocean. Since then, these units have been improved upon and are now used in residential on-site wastewater system (aka septic systems).
There are a variety of different pre-treatment units on the market today. The most common for on-site wastewater systems take up to 75% of the contaminates out before ever hitting the soil. This is obviously better for the environment, but it also increases the life of a septic system too. Currently, most septic systems have a life expectancy somewhere between 15-30 years. This variance in years has much to do with the soil type, water usage, and maintenance of the system. All of these are variables that can shorten the life of a septic system. However, when you clean the water up before it hits a drainfield (or soil) by removing 75% of the contaminates, the cleaner water allows for a longer life.
This is how septic systems can benefit from these pre-treatment units. But what about when the ground doesn’t perc for a conventional septic system?
In Nebraska, there are basically two options for on-site wastewater systems. If the ground percs, you can install a conventional septic system. If it does not perc, most people install a lagoon. For the most part, people hate lagoons. They are gross and ugly. However, with pre-treatment units, a lagoon can become a polishing pond – a body of water that to anyone driving by looks like a nice pond on the acreage. Below are pictures of polishing ponds Southwick Liquid Waste has installed in the last couple of years.
Cleaning up the environment, extending the life of a septic system and swapping a lagoon for a polishing pond are all made possible by these pre-treatment units. The units Southwick Liquid Waste use are engineered and created by a company called BioMicrobics. To learn more about this company and how we can make these units work for you, please visit the Nebraska BioMicrobics page here.