How Many Sprinkler Heads Should You Use for an Aerobic Septic System?

Septic systems are the best way for people who aren’t connected to a public sewage system to deal with wastewater. There is a wide variety of septic system designs available, and those that produce high-quality effluent—like aerobic septic systems—can even attach to sprinkler systems to save you money and reuse water while keeping your lawn healthy. Take a look at how and why you can fit some septic systems with sprinkler heads, how many sprinkler heads you need for an aerobic septic system, and more.

How Does an Aerobic Septic System Work?

Before we dive into how many sprinkler heads you need for your aerobic septic system, it’s useful to understand what a septic tank is and how aerobic septic systems work. The waste and wastewater coming from your home follows a specific path through several chambers before it’s suitable to use to water your lawn:

• Trash tank: The trash tank is what receives all of the waste and wastewater from your fixtures and appliances via your main sewer line. The liquid waste separates from the solids and eventually flows into the next chamber.

• Mixing tank: The mixing tank contains the bulk of the bacteria that consume the waste particles in the water. This tank is aerated by an air compressor to help the bacteria thrive. Some septic systems use multiple mixing tanks for improved efficiency and a reduced frequency of sewer clogs.

• Settling tank: The wastewater then moves from the mixing tank to the settling tank, where any solid waste settles out of the water and flows back into the mixing tank. Eventually, the liquid in the settling tank empties into a separate pump tank.

• Pump tank: By the time the wastewater reaches this tank, it’s usually clean enough to use for irrigation. However, you still treat the water in the pump tank with chlorine to make sure. The pump tank includes two floats that detect when your septic tank is full and trigger the pumps to remove the water. Where the water goes depends on your system.

Adding Sprinkler Heads to a Septic System

Some septic systems dispose of water into a “leach field,” which consists of perforated pipes that deliver the water evenly across a specific site on your property. However, you can also have pump tanks in an aerobic septic system deliver water to sprinkler heads, in which case the disposal site on your lawn is called a “spray field.”

With this type of septic system, your wastewater is treated to the point where it’s safe to spray over your lawn, allowing you to reuse water for irrigation. This can save you money on your utility bills, although some systems aren’t large enough to provide irrigation for entire lawns or gardens.

Can You Add Sprinkler Heads to Any Septic System?

Unfortunately, no, only aerobic septic systems are suitable for adding sprinkler heads.

Traditional septic systems don’t include aeration in the treatment chambers, so the breakdown of the waste happens more slowly. A distribution box delivers the wastewater to an underground area—the leach field—and it’s there that aerobic bacteria get to work to clean the water. The bacteria in the soil cleans the water before it mixes with groundwater.

With an aerobic septic system, the effluent that comes out of the pump tank has already met with aerobic bacteria, which scrubs the water clean. At the end of the process, it also mixes with chlorine and is entirely disinfected. The high-quality effluent that comes out is safe to spray over your lawn, even if you have children and pets that frequent the area.

Since traditional systems don’t produce such high-quality, disinfected effluent, you can only legally add sprinkler heads to an aerobic system that treats and disinfects the wastewater before it reaches the soil.

Pros and Cons of Septic Sprinkler System

Septic sprinkler systems provide a slew of benefits, but they aren’t without their downsides.

Are Septic Sprinkler Systems Safe?

Some people naturally have concerns about using wastewater to irrigate their lawns, but thanks to the heavy treatment in the septic system, septic sprinklers are perfectly safe.

The effluent or treated water that comes out of an aerobic septic system is totally disinfected and clean, which means it’s perfectly safe to spray on your lawn. Septic sprinkler systems are heavily regulated for obvious reasons, but there are no issues with using the water for irrigation, even if you have kids or pets outside while they’re on.

How Many Sprinkler Heads to Use for an Aerobic Septic System

The average number of sprinkler heads an aerobic septic system can handle is four, but that number could range from two to eight. The number of sprinkler heads you should add to your aerobic septic system depends on the size of your pump tank and the efficiency and output of your pump.

You should always consult with a professional when sizing your septic sprinkler system, and you might need to supplement the system with a traditional sprinkler system if your septic tank can’t handle the output you need. You can also opt to place the septic sprinkler heads in gardens rather than on your lawn to water a smaller area.

How to Add Sprinkler Heads to Your Septic System

All states carefully regulate the functionality and installation of septic systems, including sprinkler heads for aerobic systems, so you will always need to call a local septic tank company to install, remove, or relocate your sprinkler heads.

You can sometimes save money by buying the materials yourself and then just paying for labor. If you do go this route, make sure you purchase the right sprinkler heads. Many states require specific heads with purple caps to indicate that it’s pulling water from a septic system.