January 14, 2025

From Septic to Sewer: Protecting the Environment through Waste Management

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When you flush a toilet, you likely don’t give it much thought. But below the surface, there are intricate, complex systems in place that help get rid of a building’s waste and contain its contaminates. There are two main wastewater management systems buildings will use: either a septic system or a municipal sewer system. In our article, we’ll help you discover the difference between these two systems and why converting from septic to sewer is beneficial for the environment. 

What’s the Difference between a Septic System & a Sewer System?

A septic system is a contained waste management system that relies on bacteria to break down the waste. It has three main components: the septic tank, the drain field, and pipes to connect everything. These are more common with older and/or rural houses, but in Florida alone, we have around 12% of the entire nation’s septic systems, and nearly 30% of Florida residents have a septic system. 

Municipal sewer systems, on the other hand, are a network of pipes and pathways that carry wastewater to treatment plants, where it is then treated to remove contaminants through a series of different systems, and then is released back into the surrounding environment with reduced pollutants and waste.  Unlike a septic system, sewer systems can be connected to several houses and businesses and are not contained to one home. The treatment plants use proven methods and chemicals to treat the sewage water rather than relying on natural processes  to break it down. 

The Benefits of Converting from Septic to Sewer

While both systems are in use today, many people, governments, and businesses prefer a sewer system to a septic system. This is because a sewer system offers a variety of benefits for the owner and the land around them—especially the surrounding rivers, lakes, and ponds. Some of the benefits include: 

• Better Water Quality: This is the biggest advantage of sewer systems over septic systems. Septic systems have no official treatment plan for sewage water other than soil absorption. Because of this, surface and groundwater near septic systems are at risk for contamination. This is especially true if a drainfield fails or a septic tank floods during a natural disaster. Since sewer systems treat and disinfect wastewater through multi-step processes at treatment plants , these contaminants are removed from the sewage water, and released back into the environment at a higher standard of water quality. 

• Reliability & Lifespan: Similar to how septic systems pose a water contamination risk, they have a similar effect on soil. As we mentioned previously, septic systems rely on soil and bacteria to naturally absorb the waste. This means homes with septic systems are at risk of having dangerous bacteria in their soil, including E. coli and coliform. Also, soil can only absorb so much, so a home may run into issues when its soil can no longer handle more waste. Sewer systems negate this problem by draining the sewage away from the home or building and keeping it away from the soil. 

• Future Proof: With the advancement of technology and our understanding of how septic systems impact the environment, governing authorities may change regulations and thus burden the property owner with the financial responsibility to update their system.  Septic systems are also more prone to flooding, especially during hurricane season because the soil is more likely to be saturated with water and therefore cannot absorb the waste into the ground. Although hurricanes can also disrupt sewer systems from properly functioning, these systems are generally more resilient, last longer, and require less frequent maintenance. 

Considerations in Converting from Septic to Sewer 

Given the benefits of sewer systems, local governments, agencies, and businesses are trying to make the switch for their homes and buildings. While each project presents unique challenges, there is a set of factors the engineers at JBPro will take into consideration to help make this transition as quick and easy as possible. 

• Site Conditions & Survey: In most cases, you’ll need to get a survey for the project. How many buildings are involved? What’s the elevation of the land? What is the closest sewer line connection? Are there any obstructions from the home to the point of connection?  A professional survey will help answer these questions and serve as the basis for the project’s design.
• Amount of Waste: We must determine how much waste each building involved in the project will produce. For example, a single-family home will generate a lot less waste than an apartment building. Once you have this information, we’ll help determine the pipe size required —finding the perfect balance between too large  which inflates costs but not too small which could increase the risk of blockages. 
• Lift Stations:  If deemed necessary by the project site features, we’ll design a lift station that will efficiently transport waste water to the municipal sewer system. Our team will consider factors such as elevation, lift station size, permitting, and cost when designing your project. 
• Site Restoration:  Our team takes into account everything that will be needed to restore the site after construction is done. Because we’re dealing with underground systems, there will be a lot of digging necessary to complete the project. However, we’ll figure out a plan to restore the site back to its former beauty after the project is completed. 
• Septic Abandonment: As required by Florida law, you’ll want to find a contractor to fill in the septic tanks you’re converting. This is a specialized service, so you’ll want to find someone who meets the criteria to do this step of the project. Likely, the contractor will use sand to fill the tanks to ensure there’s no hollow ground. 
• Permitting & Coordination: Throughout the lifetime of the project, we’ll coordinate with the appropriate municipality or local government authority that owns the sewer system to ensure they can handle the wastewater flow we’re sending to them. Depending on the process in your city or county, we will apply for the needed permits with the right agencies to allow for a connection to the public sewer system. Along with permitting, we will make sure our project plans adhere to design standards published by local authorities. 

What Challenges Could Arise? 

Every project has its own unique challenges and design considerations including the number of buildings needing to be converted, the amount of waste generated by each building, and the elevation of each building. Typically, just converting one house from septic to sewer is a fairly straightforward project. But what about converting several buildings at once? This can come with more complications. 

For example, we are working with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture (IFAS) to convert eight buildings at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Florida, from a septic to a sewer system. Since all of the involved buildings sit at different elevations, our design team carefully selected a prime location for the lift station to efficiently and adequately meet the wastewater needs of all the buildings. We also took into consideration the makeup of the wastewater when designing the new sewer system to identify if any pretreatment would be required prior to discharge to the municipal sewer system. 

Grant Opportunities for Septic to Sewer Projects

Here at JBPro, our team goes above and beyond to ensure your project is successful. One of the ways we achieve that is by informing our clients of potential funding opportunities for projects that serve an important purpose such as environmental restoration or preservation. As part of our work with the University of Florida, our project manager worked closely with university staff to apply for a grant through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) which offers funding for septic to sewer projects that would result in nonpoint pollution (polluted runoff water) reduction in priority or impaired watersheds.

Additionally, FDEP offers several other grants to projects that address the issue of wastewater runoff in important water bodies and areas. For a full list of the current grants available, check out the website here!

Elevate Your Project & Community with JBPro’s Services

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