Five Benefits of Gravelless Onsite Wastewater Treatment Infiltration Systems

Posted on 6/19/2020 by Carl Thompson, P.E.

Gravelless onsite wastewater treatment infiltration systems have become the most common approach to onsite wastewater infiltration for a variety of systems including single-family residential to larger-flow multi-residence or commercial systems. Gravelless solutions for onsite wastewater treatment are readily available through your local wholesaler. Here are five benefits of the gravelless approach to onsite wastewater treatment.

1. Time Savings:
Gravelless onsite wastewater treatment systems can typically be installed in half the time as stone and pipe systems. This video shows a side-by-side time lapse of the installation of two single-family residential onsite wastewater treatment systems; one system is installed using stone and pipe and the other is installed using Infiltrator chambers. The system installed using Infiltrator chambers was installed over an hour quicker than the stone and pipe system.

2. Smaller Footprint:
Because of improved long-term infiltration efficiency, nearly all jurisdictions approve the use of gravelless systems in a smaller footprint than required for legacy gravel and pipe drainfields. This leads to more efficient lot development and reduced installation time. Check your local or state code for specific gravelless system sizing information.

3. Environmentally-Friendly:
Many gravelless onsite wastewater treatment technologies are manufactured from recycled materials. For example, each year Infiltrator diverts over 150 million pounds of post-consumer and post-industrial plastics from landfills. That recycled material is then used in the manufacturing process of our products including chambers and EZflow.

4. Easier to Transport:
Gravelless treatment technologies like Infiltrator chambers or EZflow are lightweight making them easier to transport. For most systems an installer is able to pick up these products from their local wholesaler and transport on their own truck or trailer to the job site.

5. Protection of the Soil Infiltration Surface:
Gravelless systems are designed so that they do not embed into a soil surface. Eliminating embedment protects and exposes more soil surface area for more efficient infiltration performance. Unless thoroughly washed, gravel contains fines which can lead to eventual system clogging. Eliminating gravel and using a gravelless onsite wastewater treatment technology protects the soil surface and can reduce risk of premature system failure due to clogging of soil pores.

Our website has a variety of resources from videos to installation manuals for the gravelless onsite wastewater treatment technologies that we manufacture. You may also contact us with specific questions about our products.

About the Author:

Carl Thompson, P.E.
Vice President of Sales and Business Development

Carl Thompson is responsible for sales, business development, and the science and government affairs divisions at Infiltrator. He has been with Infiltrator since 1997. Prior to his current role, Carl held several positions at Infiltrator including regulatory director and technical director. Prior to joining Infiltrator, Carl spent nine years in technical sales, marketing, and management roles at Contech Construction Products. Carl serves on several national boards including the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) where he is currently the President and the U.S. EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB). Carl is a registered professional civil engineer and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a MS in Civil Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from the University of Delaware.