Cohousing-L Mailing List: Waste treatment options for clusters

[Brian Tremback (brian.tremback]

Lynnwood,

Although the presence of a leach field does rule out buildings, depending on
the design of the system it may not rule out gardens or orchards (though
you'll want to stay away from root crops!). Your first step should be to
talk with a septic system designer and see what kind of a system your site
and soil conditions will support.

Pretreatment systems will add to the complexity and require more
maintenance, though they may be able to reduce the size of the leach field.
Here in Vermont, systems can be installed on land with slopes up to 20%. So,
depending on the regulations in North Carolina, you may be able to use land
that isn't ideal for buildings or gardens.

In any case, a septic system leach field for 30 units is going to be pretty
sizeable. But you won't know if it's a show-stopper until you have the site
evaluated.

Brian Tremback
Burlington Cohousing
Burlington, VT