I'm looking into replacing my septic mound with a subsurface treatment wetland. Here is a link talking about the tech from the EPA:
https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/wetlands-subsurface_flow.pdf
It works by creating an artificial wetland where the water surface is always below the too of a gravel medium. Wetland plants are grown in the medium and combined with microbes the discharge from the septic tank is cleaned to the point where it can be considered grey water instead of black water. Geoff Lawton showed this type of system at his place - it is much more common in Australia and I have some docs from their describing how to build the system.
Has anyone here built this type of system? What would people recommend for dealing with the discharge from it? Would a normal grey water system work for the discharge?
I thought about putting the discharge through another wetland (not subsurface) and then from there out for irrigation.
What do you all think?
My biggest hurdle is getting it permitted since I have been told that it has never been permitted (because no one asked I was told) in my state.
My house is small by American standards - 1 bathroom, 3 bedrooms, no dishwasher and only just over 1000 square feet in total size. But it is on 2.86 acres so I have room to implement the system.
Thanks for the advice!
