Onsite Wastewater Systems
(OWS)—Septic Systems
Onsite wastewater system (OWS) is a broad term referring to
any system for the collection, storage, treatment,
neutralization, or stabilization of sewage that occurs on
the property.
A septic system is a type of OWS, consisting of
a septic tank that collects all the sewage. The sewage
separates into a solid (sludge) that settles to the bottom,
and a liquid effluent that then flows into a leach field for
final treatment by the soil.
OWS are used to treat
and dispose of relatively small volumes of wastewater,
usually from houses and businesses that are not a part of or
connected to a sewage treatment works.
Regulatory definition: OWS - an absorption system of any size or flow or a
system or facility for collecting, storing, treating,
neutralizing, stabilizing, or disposing of sewage which is
not a part of or connected to a sewage treatment works. |
Risk factors
Financial
Assistance for Installation & Repair
Questions
Community
Solutions to Wastewater Pollution.