Soakage & ETS beds

They use higher loading rates than irrigation systems and can reduce your discharge area by up to 50% or more in suitable soils.

These are the most robust LAS systems utilising the earths natural ability to soak up discharge water, using large holes in the dispersal pipes rather than small orifices (like irrigation types), meaning there is virtually no maintenance required and much less chance of blockages over time. Of course, along with the benefits, these systems do have a higher initial investment because of the machinery and materials required to install them.

These beds are normally between 0.5 – 3.0m wide and 0.45m deep and are filled with drainage metal, in which the effluent is discharged using a low-pressure distribution system. The bed is formed with a slight mound and densely planted, across the entire bed, to maximise evapotranspiration and achieve great hydraulic absorption, especially in clay bound soils. These LAS’s can be loaded at a much higher rates than irrigation types, thus reducing the land application area quite significantly in a lot of applications.

Across soakage bed does not require mounding like an ETS bed and can be just grassed, so can have less visual impact on the property, though it is important to remember that these are only suitable in well-draining soils. With these beds being normally between 0.5 – 3.0m wide (though can be wider in some jurisdictions) and 0.45m deep, they can typically sustain higher loading rates, which in turn minimises area required and site impact.