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A subsurface drip system distributes wastewater to the lawn through a system of tubing installed below the ground surface. It generally consists of four main components:
Several treatment devices are available, including an aerobic unit, sand filter, trickling filter, or constructed wetland. The choice of treatment device depends on the type of drip tubing being used and the manufacturer’s recommendations. The minimum treatment required is a septic tank to settle the solids.
Most drip systems require additional treatment of the wastewater before it enters the filtering system. The pump tank stores the water until the drip field is ready for a dose of water. A high head pump delivers the water from the pump tank through the filtering device to the drip distribution system. The filtering device can be sand, disk, or screen filter. Its main purpose is to remove larger particles from the wastewater so they do not cause problems with the emitters. Depending on the wastewater quality, the filter may need to be an automatic cleaning system.
The drip distribution system is made of drip tubing approved by the manufacturer for use with wastewater. The tubing is generally ½ inch in diameter with an emitter in the tubing wall. The pressure inside the tubing is generally operated at 15 to 20 pounds per square inch (PSI), with the water exiting the emitter at 0 PSI. The collection manifold for the drip system needs to be connected back to the treatment device for flushing solids collecting inside the drip tubing back to the treatment device.
Reference: Lesikar, Bruce. Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University System. Subsurface drip distribution. Publication L-5237. 6 Sept. 1999.