If you’re building a house in an area where there’s no access to the traditional drainage system, you should always factor in the costs of building your own septic system to dispose of your house wastes safely, and luckily, there are plenty of options to consider out there.
One of the popular systems used in that situation is the aerobic septic system, which leads us to question how much it costs.
On average, a standard aerobic septic system will cost anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000. However, the price can drop to $5000 or go as high as $20,000 depending on the size of your septic system and your household, with maintenance and operation fees ranging between $150 to $800 accordingly.
Read on if you want to find out more about the aerobic septic system cost, how it works, as well as its pros and cons. Let’s dive right in!
How Do Aerobic Septic Systems Work?
The aerobic septic system is quite different when compared to most septic systems used in off-grid households. In fact, the aerobic septic system, also called “Aerobic Treatment Unit”, is considered a small-scale replica of how municipal septic and sewage plants work.
Unlike conventional septic systems that use closed septic tanks where solid organic matter is separated from the effluent liquid, the aerobic septic system works by introducing oxygen into a treatment tank.
This increases the micro-organism activity and allows bacteria to break down the tank and disinfect it from pathogens much faster. The aerobic septic system is composed of the following components:
- Septic tank
- Aeration chamber with an air pump system
- Disinfection and dispersion system for effluent water
The system works by passing the wastewater from the house into a settling tank, which traps the wastewater inside long enough to allow solid particles to settle down at the bottom. The sludge in the bottom is where the bacteria live.
These bacteria feed on the organic matter in the tank and require oxygen to thrive. The aerator allows more oxygen to reach the bacteria, which helps them break down the solid wastes into sludge and purified water.
The bacteria also disinfect the effluent liquid by breaking down some of the pathogens in the water. After that, the water is passed through a disinfection system where it’s further treated with UV radiation or chemically with chlorine before it’s disposed into a sand filter or a drain field
How Much Are Aerobic Septic Systems?
The cost of an aerobic septic system depends mainly on the size of the project. The price can be as little as $5,000 if you already have an anaerobic system and you’re converting it to an aerobic one.
On the other hand, if you’re building an aerobic system from scratch, the project may cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 including excavating, site evaluations, permits, etc.
Of course, the quality of the materials used in making the system will also impact the price, where high end materials like plastic tanks are on the higher end of the scale while cement tanks are more budget friendly but less efficient.
How Much Does It Cost to Maintain an Aerobic Septic System?
Maintaining and operating an aerobic septic system includes various processes to ensure its functionality.
The first one is pumping the system, which happens one every 2 to 3 years and costs around $200 to $300, including electricity bills and periodic inspections.
The system also relies on various aspects to function properly, so you must repair them if they break down.
This may cost around $100 to $600, so you should expect maintenance costs to set you back around $100 to $800 per year in total.
What Are the Advantages of Aerobic Septic Systems?
Now that you know more about aerobic septic systems, here’s a quick look at some of the system’s top benefits:
Excellent for Households with Limited Space
Many septic systems, such as mound septic systems take up a noticeable chunk of your lot, so they require a lot of space.
On the other hand, aerobic systems are great for households with limited space because they use very little space in comparison to the amount of waste they can treat.
Durable and Last for a Long Time
With fewer moving parts and reliance on bacteria for breaking down wastes, aerobic systems are much less likely to stop working.
You should expect this system to last between 35 to 45 years, especially with consistent maintenance and inspections.
Suitable for Inadequate Soil Conditions
Since aerobic septic systems purify the effluent water effectively, they’re compatible with a wide range of soil conditions where other systems may not work.
For example, you can use this system with soils where the water table is very high or if you live near a water body that can easily get contaminated by the effluent.
What Are the Drawbacks of Aerobic Septic Systems?
Although aerobic septic systems are extremely efficient, they’re not perfect. Here are some of the negative aspects that you need to keep in mind before installing one:
Relatively Pricey Maintenance
As you can see, aerobic septic systems can cost you up to $800 or more in maintenance costs, which is much higher than many other systems that can even cost more to build.
The reason here is that you need to inspect the system more often to make sure that it’s working at maximum efficiency.
Can Produce a Foul Odor
Aerobic systems require air ventilation to allow the oxygen to reach bacteria, so it can reach an off-putting odor if you don’t install a good venting pipe for air to flow in and out.
Wrap Up
With that said, our brief guide about the aerobic septic system cost as well as its advantages and drawbacks comes to an end.
As you can see, the cost of building an aerobic septic system can vary significantly depending on the materials used in its construction as well as the size of the project based on the number of bedrooms in your house.
For that reason, an aerobic septic system may cost as little as $5,000 and as much as $20,000. It would help if you also kept additional maintenance and operation costs in mind, which are anywhere between $150 to $600.