{"product_id":"systems-septic-alternatives","title":"Septic and its alternatives: Permitted wastewater for off-grid homes · Alt Ordo Systems Guide","description":"\u003cp\u003eA septic system is a small sewage works buried in your yard. A watertight tank holds the house's wastewater long enough for solids to settle and float apart, and the clearer liquid runs out to a drainfield, where the soil does the real cleaning. When the soil is too shallow, too tight or too wet, engineered versions (a mound, an aerobic unit, a drip field) do the same job at a higher price. And on some land, in some counties, a dry toilet plus a greywater system is the permitted alternative. This guide helps you find out which one your land and your county allow, before you spend money.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis guide helps you read your soil before you buy, know which wastewater system your county will permit on it, size a septic tank and drainfield with real numbers, budget honestly, and keep the system working for decades, or choose a permitted dry path instead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's inside.\u003c\/strong\u003e 19 pages in 9 chapters (At a glance, Where it works, How it works, Size it, Parts and cost, Build it, Run it, Rules and permits, How it connects), then the sources and a notes page. 7 numbered figures drawn for this guide. You also get a worked example with a fill-in worksheet, 10 numbered steps, a year-round calendar, and a troubleshooting table.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree builds, costed line by line\u003c\/strong\u003e (typical US prices, October 2026):\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBare-bones: ≈ $1,300–$2,200\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStandard: ≈ $7,700–$11,600 + install\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComfortable: ≈ $6,300–$13,900 + install\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSourced and fact-checked.\u003c\/strong\u003e Facts and figures are cited to the 31 sources listed at the back, and the whole guide was fact-checked before release. General guidance, not engineering advice: your county and a qualified pro have the last word on your site.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePairs with\u003c\/strong\u003e other Alt Ordo Systems Guides: Finding off-grid land; Composting toilets; Wells and hand pumps; Off-grid solar. For your county's permits and rules, see our county and state guides.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstant PDF download.\u003c\/strong\u003e After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alt Ordo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48361806037163,"sku":"AO26-SYS-14","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/4718\/4299\/files\/AO26-SYS-14.jpg?v=1792808948","url":"https:\/\/shop.altordo.com\/products\/systems-septic-alternatives","provider":"Alt Ordo: Build Freedom","version":"1.0","type":"link"}