SEPTIC TANK REUSE OPTIONS In addition to the standard abandonment process of pumping your septic tank and having it rendered useless by filling it with gravel or cement and crushing the tank lids, you have the opportunity to reuse your tank as a cistern. The following provides an overview of the six reuse options. Each one can reduce runoff, recharge the groundwater, improve water quality, and conserve water. Option Option 1 Stormwater Capture for Infiltration 2 Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation Rainwater Collected Off Roof Gutter 1st Flush Device Gutter Not Necessary for Pre Filter this option Stormwater Screened Overflow Collected On-Site Leach Field Filter Irrigation To New Septic Tank Sewer Converted to Pump Converted Septic Tank Stormwater to Rainwater Cistern Stormwater to w/ Perforated Bottom Groundwater Recharge w/ Pump Groundwater Recharge Use your converted tank to increase ground Use your converted tank as a cistern to store water recharge and reduce stormwater runoff by water that can later be used for irrigation and perforating the bottom of the tank and channeling uses the leach field to infiltrate stormwater. Roof storm water into the system. You can use both s u r f a c e s p r o v i d e t h e c l e a n e s t, m o s t leach field and tank or either one. concentrated, and easiest to direct source of water for your cistern. Option Option 3 Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Toilet 4 Treated Graywater for Indoor Toilet Use Gutter Rainwater for Not Necessary n on-potable use for this option Graywater Overflow to Sewer Rainwater Cistern Graywater w/ Pump Treatment System Use the tank to store harvested rain water for Use the tank to treat and store graywater for indoor, non-potable uses, and reuse the leach indoor, non-potable uses, and reuse the leach field to infiltrate stormwater. field to infiltrate stormwater. Combo: Combining your septic conversion with supplementary systems can create synergies & greater benefits Combo Option 4 + Combo Option 3 + Graywater for Irrigation B Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation A Rainwater Tank to Irrigation Rainwater Graywater Irrigation Irrigation Graywater to Graywater to Treatment & Surge Tank Storage Cistern with Filter & Pump Combining Option 4, which uses treated Combining Option 3, which uses harvested rain graywater for indoor, non-potable uses, an water for indoor, non-potable uses, with direct additional rainwater harvesting system for use of graywater for landscape irrigation landscape irrigation, and reuse of the leach field increases the water conservation advantages of to infiltrate stormwater makes this 3-way the system. combination the most comprehensive. .