Designation:D5879/D5879M−18StandardPracticeforSurfaceSiteCharacterizationforOn-SiteSepticSystems1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD5879/D5879M;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.1.Scope1.1Sitecharacterizationofsurfaceconditionsatasiteforevaluatingsuitabilityforon-sitesepticsystemsrequiresbothsimpleandcomplextechniquesthatmaybeaccomplishedbymanydifferentproceduresandmaybevariouslyinterpreted.Thesestudiesarefrequentlysitespecificandareinfluencedbygeologicalandgeographicalsettings,bythepurposeofthesitecharacterization,bydesignrequirementsfortheprojectproposed,andbythebackground,training,andexperienceofthestaffinvolved.1.2Thisstandardisaguideforusingthesurfacesitecharacterizationforon-sitesepticsystemsmethodforprojectsthatrequireon-sitesewagedisposal.Itisintendedtoimproveconsistencyofpracticeandtoencouragetheuseofthismethodaspartofasitecharacterizationprogram.Sincethesubsurfaceconditionsataparticularsiteareusuallytheresultofacombinationofnatural,geologic,topographic,andclimaticfactors,andofhistoricalmodificationsbothnaturalandmanmade,anadequateandinternallyconsistentuseofamethodaspartoftheexplorationprogramwillallowevalua-tionoftheresultsoftheseinfluences.1.3Thispracticecanbeusedatanysitewhereon-sitetreatmentofresidentialandnonhazardouscommercialwaste-watersusingseptictanksandnaturalsoilsorconstructedfilterbedsisrequiredoranoptionunderconsideration.Thispracticemayalsobeusefulwhenconstructedwetlandsareusedasanalternativewastewatertreatmentmethod.1.4ThispracticeshouldbeusedinconjunctionwithPrac-ticesD5921andD5925.1.5Units—ThevaluesstatedineitherSIunitsorinch-poundunitsgiveninbracketsaretoberegardedseparatelyasstandard.Thevaluesstatedineachsystemmaynotbeexactequivalents;therefore,eachsystemshallbeusedindependentlyoftheother.Combiningvalues...
