Most households in the United States are either connected to a municipal wastewater treatment facility through the municipal sewer lines or use a septic system to treat wastewater. In some cases, there is not a municipal system available and the property is not suitable for a septic system. When a septic system is not a good option, many homeowners are turning to aerobic wastewater treatment systems.
Aerobic wastewater treatment systems work by collecting household wastewater in a tank buried underground and treating it through a natural process involving bacteria that break down and digest the wastewater. In order for the process to work, oxygen must be pumped into the tank and there are other electrical components such as mixers and pumps. The treated wastewater is then pumped to a drainfield similar to a septic system drainfield or to some other final treatment stage such as a sand filter.
Because these system use electrical components, they are more expensive to operate and need more frequent maintenance than septic systems which only need regular inspections and septic tank pumping. They also do not tolerate overloading or neglect as well as septic systems. In addition, aerobic systems are less efficient in cold weather and may not be suitable for some northern climates.
On the other hand, aerobic systems are a good choice for sites that are not suitable for septic systems. Many home sites cannot use a septic system because they do not have enough area to accommodate a drainfield, the soil is not suitable for the drainfield, or as a replacement for a failed septic system already in place.
