Adding Additional Bedrooms to an Existing House – When increasing the sewage flows from an existing house by adding additional bedrooms, the SEO must verify that the sewage disposal system meets the standards established in Chapter 73. That means the size of the absorption area and the septic tank must be large enough for the increased flows or they must be brought up to Chapter 73 standards. Enlargement of absorption areas may present difficulties associated with soil compaction. Depending on the soil conditions at the site, some options to consider might be: 1) use of an aerobic tank to take a 1/3 reduction in the required square footage of absorption area needed; or 2) installation of a new properly sized absorption area and abandonment of the undersized one.
