Because of our experiences here, we now recommend that brickwork or concrete be used to support elevated cells. Otherwise, it's worked great. At one home near the lake, the terrain drops so much that it's difficult to stand up straight without falling down. This system consists of primary treatment with a standard septic tank followed by a recirculating sand filter. Effluents are stored in a wet well that is designed to store the typical amount of effluent that will be generated each day.
Wastewater is disposed of on two fields using drip irrigation.
The drip irrigation system is designed to automatically alternate the fields that will receive the effluents so no one field is overloaded. Siphon-shaped breakers make sure the field is drained properly when the system is shut off. If you tried surface irrigation, the effluents would simply run down and off these slopes and flow rapidly downstream. In Buffalo Gap and other subdivisions near Lake Travis, the portion of household lots reserved for lawns and landscapes can be minuscule. Finding enough acreage to treat and dispose of wastewater is an extremely arduous task for the on-site system designer and homeowner.