Homeowners in Roseburg, Ore., wanted to stop the smelly water from ponding in their back yard. Two contractors advised the couple to poke holes in the liner of their sand filter. Instead, they sought a third opinion.

When Chris Semrau of North Bank Excavation in Roseburg arrived, he found the 18- by 20-foot sand filter in failure. The small fenced-in yard also held a swimming pool, dog kennel, equipment shed, detached garage/office, and four mature oaks. With no room to replace the sand filter, remediation was the only solution.

Semrau knew that Orenco Systems Inc. in Sutherlin, Ore., was looking for a site to demonstrate its AdvanTex AX20RT three-in-one treatment, recirculating, and dosing tank. Semrau called sales director Darren Simmie, and they teamed up to repair the onsite system. The unit’s design enabled them to keep the existing septic tank and drainfield, while its compact shape expedited installation and minimized disruption.

Site conditions

The 0.68-acre subdivision lot has 36 to 48 inches of loam over clay with some river rock. Because the repair used existing components, soils and test pits were unnecessary.

System components

Semrau designed the system to handle 500 gpd. Its major components are:

• Existing 1,000-gallon, single-compartment concrete septic tank made by Willamette Graystone, Roseburg, Ore.

• 4-inch effluent filter, model FTS0444-36 (Orenco Systems Inc.).

• 800-gallon AX20RT secondary treatment system with recirculation and dosing compartments (Orenco Systems Inc.).

• Biotube pump vault with 4-inch turbine 1/2-hp effluent pump (Orenco Systems Inc.).

• Universal flow inducer pump system with 4-inch turbine 1/2-hp demand-dose discharge pump.

• VeriComm telemetry monitoring system and control panel (Orenco Systems Inc.).