Drip dispersal, Eljen, and Presby installations for North Georgia lots where a conventional gravel drainfield won't pass.
Engineered Septic Solutions
Plenty of lots in North Georgia can't take a conventional gravel drainfield. Red clay that drains slowly, bedrock close to the surface, steep grades in Dawson and Hall Counties, and tight infill lots inside Gwinnett all push systems toward an engineered design. Atlanta Wastewater Solutions installs and services the alternative systems county Environmental Health offices approve in this area — drip dispersal, Eljen GSF, Presby Enviro-Septic, and pump-dosed fields.
We start with the site and soil evaluation, coordinate the engineered design, install the system, and hand over the paperwork for final inspection. If your lot turns out to support a standard field after all, we'll tell you that — a conventional drainfield install is cheaper to build and cheaper to maintain. Already know you need Eljen? See our Eljen system page.
Systems We Install
Treated effluent is pumped through small-diameter drip tubing laid shallow across a large area, so the soil gets a slow, even dose instead of a concentrated one. Useful on lots with shallow soil, slope, or limited usable area.
Geotextile modules pre-treat effluent before it ever reaches the soil, which shrinks the footprint a system needs. A common approval path on tight lots and near-lake properties.
Corrugated pipe wrapped in a fabric and sand media that treats effluent inside the pipe itself. Another engineered option county Environmental Health may accept where gravel won't.
When the field sits uphill from the tank, a pump tank with floats and control panel doses the field on a schedule. We install, service, and repair the pumps, floats, and panels.
Signs to Watch For
Perc test failed or soil depth is too shallow for a conventional field
Bedrock or a seasonal high water table close to the surface
Steep or narrow lot with no room for a standard gravel drainfield
County Environmental Health requires an engineered system for the permit
Existing conventional drainfield has failed and cannot be rebuilt in place
Lake Lanier or creek-adjacent property with tighter setback limits
Recent Work
Common Questions
An alternative septic system is any state-approved system that treats or disperses effluent differently than a conventional septic tank and gravel drainfield — drip dispersal, Eljen GSF, and Presby Enviro-Septic are the three we install most in North Georgia. They are typically used when soil conditions or lot size won't support a conventional field.
An engineered system costs more than a conventional gravel field because it involves a design, a pump and control panel, and more components. The exact difference depends on the design your county approves, so we quote it after the site evaluation rather than guessing at a number up front.
Yes — a drip or pump-dosed system has pumps, filters, and controls that need routine service, and most counties expect a maintenance agreement on an engineered system. We service the systems we install.
Your county Environmental Health office approves the design based on the soil evaluation and lot conditions. We do the site evaluation, coordinate the engineered design, install the approved system, and provide the documentation for final inspection.
Call for a site evaluation — we'll tell you honestly which system your lot and county will support.
Call (678) 303-6154