Thank you for your reply Krischan. The purpose of this technical brief is to provide guidance on finding out the soils texture and using that data to estimate the long term acceptance rate (LTAR) of the soils. This information leads to the proper sizing of leach field systems. The construction however, is a different topic which certainly needs attention. Please share your ideas for the simple construction measures for soak pits and leach fields you reference. We hope to create additional technical briefs that will include related techniques, and will consider your suggestions for inclusion.

Excellent brief and a must read for any one constructing septic tanks.

However, I would have added a few simple construction measures for soak pits/trenches and leach fields to lessen the risk of a failing system going unnoticed.

In many parts of the developing world, wastewater effluent from failing septic tanks and undersized leaching systems pose an environmental health threat. In the urban slums of Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire, unsafe sanitation systems contribute to diarrhea and cholera, which are persistent health threats. While significant resources have been spent on reducing open defecation, surfacing effluent from poorly designed systems brings pathogens back into close contact with community members, posing a significant risk of disease. However, with correctly designed systems, soils can be used to safely disperse wastewater effluent into the environment.
Read more here: www.psi.org/publication/conducting-soils...water-system-design/
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