Chambered System
Chambered systems cost $5,000 to $12,000 to install. They use plastic perforated chambers around pipes often set in sand, eliminating the need for gravel. They're quick and easy to install but more susceptible to crushing forces, like vehicles.
Built Wetland System
Built wetland systems cost $8,000 to $15,000 to install and more if you use an aerobic tank. They mimic the natural cleansing process found in wetlands and are treated by microbes, plants, and bacteria in a wetland tank before passing to the soil. The waste also supports the wetland plants and microbe population.
Recirculating Sand Filter Septic System
Sand filter septic systems cost $7,000 to $18,000 to install. They're constructed either above- or below-ground and use a pump chamber to push the wastewater through a sand filter prior to dispersal in the ground. The filter box typically has a PVC lining, and the pump pushes the effluent through the sand and back to the pump tank, where it's then dispersed through the ground.
Evapotranspiration System
Evapotranspiration systems cost $10,000 to $15,000 to install. They use a unique drain field setup that allows the liquid to evaporate from the top of an open-air tank and are only useful in dry, arid climates that see little rain or snow.
Drip Septic System
Drip systems cost $8,000 to $18,000 to install. They work like other systems, except they use extensive drip tubing and a dosing system. They release smaller timed doses, which work well in shallow soil depths. But a drip system costs more than a traditional system since it requires a dose tank, pump, and electricity.
Mound Septic System
A mound septic system costs $10,000 to $20,000 to install. It’s the most expensive system but often necessary in areas with high water tables, shallow soil depth, or shallow bedrock. It relies upon an elevated sand mound for the drain field rather than excavating into the soil. Its increased expense comes from both the added machinery needed to pump effluent uphill into the mound and the materials and creation of the mound itself.