Soil Tests and Septic System Design
Albert Frick Associates has designed over 30,000 septic systems (leach beds, drain fields , filter beds) in the State of Maine since the company was founded in 1985. Our designs range from the most basic of pit privies to very large and complex community systems. The firm is intimately familiar with current and proposed codes and regulations governing septic systems.
Septic system design (known as Site Evaluation in Maine) is a process during which a thoughtful designer must consider a number of different (and sometimes competing) elements. Even though the design process is complicated, our approach to designing septic systems is very simple. Frick Associates septic designers strive to provide our clients with the most cost-effective and functional septic design to meet their needs. We have a long and successful track record for permitting tough sites, including those from which other septic designers have walked away.
For clients who are in the process of building a home, we work hard to fit our septic design into the overall development plan for the lot. We work closely with homeowners, landscape architects, builders and excavating contractors to assure that the septic system is sited in such a way so as to blend into the existing landscape (whenever possible) and does not interfere with other elements of the lot’s design plan.
Having a failed septic system is no picnic. The prospect of having to shell out thousands of dollars to replace a failed leach bed can be troubling to most people. Our clients who are in need of a replacement to (or expansion of) their existing septic system will find that our staff of experienced septic designers respond to their needs in an efficient, timely and cost-conscious manner. We strive, whenever possible, to design the least expensive (while still designed to last and fit in with existing site features) type of septic system for our clients. Our innovative Site Evaluators are well-versed in the practical application of the latest technologies, but know that sometimes a simple design is the best design.
Every site is different. On some lots siting a leach bed is easy. Other lots require an advanced level of sophistication in terms of septic design. Frick Associates Site Evaluators are specialists in the realm of designing septic systems for “tough sites”. Whether your lot is located on a remote island off the coast and is in need of a replacement septic system or you are looking to develop a new lot and are finding it difficult to fit all of the elements of your construction plan (dwelling, well, driveway, septic system, etc.) into a small building window, trust that our septic designers have encountered the situation before. We’ll work with you to find the septic design that best fits ALL of your wants and needs.
Albert Frick Associates septic designers have performed numerous overboard discharge removal projects. We work closely with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Health Engineering in order to take wastewater that formerly was allowed to flow into the ocean and design a new septic system that effectively treats it.
Albert Frick , our founder and President, is currently working on a prototype septic system for remote island settings. This type of septic design will allow for a much smaller leach field and will in turn require less fill material for construction which can be very expensive and sometimes difficult to get in an island setting.
For homeowners and septic system installers, AFA has recently refined a computer-generated fill calculation sheet, based on three-dimensional cross-section information. This Septic System Fill Calculator is located on this website and is provided free for use by our clients and their excavating contractors. The information is obtained on-site during each individual septic design, providing a simple and accurate estimate of the amount of fill needed to complete the septic installation.