Is NaturalFlow better than a standard septic tank?

Here's what you need to know

There are loads of different ways to treat sewage and wastewater these days — different brands, methods, and technologies. But most of them still rely on the same old basic setup: a standard septic tank.

And that’s where many of them fall short.

To help make sense of it all, we’ve put together a simple comparison between NaturalFlow and the more common systems people use today. It'll show you how they work, where the differences lie, and why NaturalFlow takes a smarter, more natural approach to wastewater.

Septic Tanks – sewage disposal system

Septic tanks are a rudimentary method of separating water from the waste material using the simple principles of settling and retention, and anaerobic treatment.

All your sewage and wastewater is piped into one big tank and then, given time, the solids will settle to the bottom and the lighter scum will float to the top, leaving in the middle liquid that is hopefully relatively clear of solids.

This water, from the middle layer, is then pumped or dosed out to your soakage fields.

The NaturalFlow approach separates the black and grey waters at their source for selective treatment within the system. The solids, using natural filtering, are separated from the liquid right at the beginning or entry into the system, in the Wormorator® module, and reduced down to harmless humus by a whole eco-system of worms and organisms that have been doing this work for thousands of years without a pause, and of course nature does this all for you for free!

The liquid which is then extremely free of contaminates is very easily further filtered and treated through successive natural processes before being returned to the environment carefully.

The NaturalFlow system works totally on aerobic treatment processes.

As the solids and scum layers increase and build up the ‘middle water’ becomes narrower and more and more solids are then pushed through the tank out to your soakage fields and then all the problems start – smelly, smelly, smelly!!!!!!

Or, if you have a sudden influx into the tank (called shock loading), say at Christmas time when the family is around or such, the same thing will happen – no time for the solids to separate and settle so through they go, out into your soakage fields to start causing you trouble!!

The other reason septic tank systems fail is when the leach field clogs up with the solids in the effluent. When this occurs, the effluent cannot absorb effectively into the soil and will cause pooling or runoff. This can lead to groundwater contamination and overflowing trenches, surcharging hazardous (and odorous) effluent. A health hazard to both humans and animals.

The NaturalFlow approach removes the solids and scum from the sewage right at the beginning of the treatment process. It’s commonly known by industry and homeowners alike, that it’s the solids, grease and grit of wastewater that is the major cause of system failures.

NaturalFlow solves this problem from the very start, by separating the black water, for special attention through the Wormorator® module which reduces the solids by up to 95%.

To try and combat this, inherent weakness, the tanks have become bigger and bigger and they need to be pumped out, and all the solids and scum removed, on a constant cycle of 3 – 5 years, which or course you must pay for. This waste is then loaded into the local reticulated sewage system causing extra expense and loading there.

By removing and reducing these pollutants at the very start of the process, the downstream treatment of the liquid content is ‘plain sailing’. This dramatically reduces ongoing system maintenance to virtually zero, and ensures the system will continue to operate at peak performance for years.

Aerated Treatment Systems

Most have a septic stage, with the same problems as a septic tank.

In contrast to what is found in nature, mechanical aerating wastewater systems are water-based. To drive decomposition in this oxygen-poor environment, they must use energy-intensive aerators to pump oxygen into the wastewater and its many moving parts can be unreliable and expensive to repair. High maintenance costs, running costs, and high potential for odour.

Silently and continuously…nature is breaking down waste all around us.

In nature, most decomposition takes place in land-based, oxygen-rich humus. This highly efficient decomposition of waste is by a complex range of soil organisms. Without this, decomposition would cease and we could no longer live on this planet.

Why use high-energy mechanical aerators up to 24 hours a day to inject oxygen into wastewater – when the energetic worms and other organisms in the Wormorator® will continually treat the wastewater using the oxygen from the ambient air?

Letting nature do the aeration on a typical on-site wastewater system eliminates more than 1000kWhours per year…. Wow!

Sand Filters

Have a septic first stage, with the same problems as a septic tank. The septic tank which must have its sludge pumped out periodically is then followed by a sand filter with a very large footprint;

Sand filters because of the septic tank first stage are also susceptible to overloading and clogging.

NaturalFlow takes care of all those solids right at the beginning of the treatment process, once and for all.

Composting Toilet

Compost toilets are “dry composting systems”. This means they don’t treat greywater, so a separate greywater treatment system is required. They also can be susceptible to flies, gnats and odour. Requires high level of maintenance by the home owner/occupier – no “flush & forget”.

Where NaturalFlow is a “wet composting process” and takes care of all your wastewater and sewage.

It all starts with your site

Get a free site assessment

Not sure what will work for you? Let us take a look.

Your site and dispersal field have the biggest say in which system will work best for you. Let our team take a look, either on site or via aerial mapping, and we can help you find a solution that works for you.

Book a Free Site Assessment