Exposed septic tank opening

Why to Include a Double Lid During Septic Tank Installation

Despite the broad advances in technology over approximately 150 years of septic tank usage, a pervasive problem in septic design remains too frequent: Drowning within unsecured tanks.

Septic tanks are required to have securely attached lids to prevent humans or animals from falling in. But environmental damage, aging decay, and human error can leave tanks accessible and vulnerable to anyone, but most commonly children, to getting trapped inside. It happens everywhere — A quick Google search will promptly turn up recent stories of children dying in septic tanks in Australia and New Zealand, India, Canada, Florida, Washington, and many more states. 

(The case in Florida, it should be noted, took place in a public park, demonstrating that this isn’t at all an issue limited to homeowner negligence).

There’s even a podcast series investigating the 2015 drowning of a 5-year-old in Virginia and the subsequent prosecution of his mother. 

It might be reasonable to expect that modern tank design would have reduced the prevalence of these incidents. However, according to Dr. Sara Heger of the University of Minnesota’s Onsite Sewage Treatment Program, the opposite is closer to the truth. More and more new septic tanks increase the tank’s accessibility for pumping and cleaning by putting a manhole cover at ground level. But this exposes the cover directly to more possible sources of damage, and makes the likelihood of anyone falling in higher when the hole is exposed for any reason. 

But, of course, there are solutions! In fact, there is a very easy and inexpensive solution, and Dr. Heger is seeing a movement forming to make it a standard across the septic installation industry. It’s simply to have two lids. 

The second lid, or screen, exists solely to prevent accidental entry into tanks. It fits into the riser opening and blocks a child or animal from falling further into the tank. See examples from Infiltrator Water Technologies and Polylok. Polylok also has a specialized “Kid Catcher” safety screen! These devices are not expensive, and should not break the bank for anyone getting a new tank installed. 

While the movement grows to make their installation a required standard, industry professionals can all play a part in encouraging homeowners to add them into their new and existing systems! Even if a homeowner doesn’t have kids on their property frequently, adults and animals can still fall prey to an exposed tank too. One of the most common topics of septic tank news in the mainstream media is septic drowning — Increasing the use of double lids and other safety devices will keep these stories from being written. 

Follow our podcast Tap Talk: Drinking Water in Rural America to hear more from Dr. Heger on safety and other emerging topics in the decentralized wastewater industry during our upcoming fifth season.

Finally, see more tank safety product recommendations from Pumper Magazine here »