THE #1 DECISION

Choose the right system

Kicking back after a barbecue, comparing treatment systems. We’ve all done it. But there’s no ideal, one-fits-all solution

Tip Regular pump-outs and maintenance keep a septic system, conventional or advanced, in shape. With advanced systems, additional costs include electricity and the replacement of the filtering media and mechanical parts.

Tip An area bed (for a smaller space) or a buried trench (for shallow soil) can be paired with any of the advanced system types.

Option #1

A conventional septic system

BEST FOR large, level lots with deep, well-drained soils

COST $15K–$40K (for this and all systems, depending on cottage size, soils, lot, and access)

“The soils you have will tell you what you need,” says Alberta septic designer Daniel Morris. Deep, permeable soils on a flat or gently sloping lot may be whispering “conventional septic.” The typical setup includes a double-chambered concrete, plastic, or fibreglass tank and a distribution system, a.k.a. the leaching, tile, or area bed, or treatment field, where effluent