CASE STUDY:
Single Family Residential
GAGLIANO FAMILY HOME: WATERTOWN, WISCONSIN
Nibbler Jr. Succeeds in the Land of 40,000 Mounds
Wisconsin is perhaps best known as the Badger State, but in our business Wisconsin may be better labeled "The Land of 40,000 Mounds." And this does not refer to Native American burial sites, which also dot the landscape.
A unique geology creates special challenges for locating onsite systems in much of Wisconsin. The water table is often just a foot or two below the surface. Elevated sand mounds frequently become the treatment system of choice, protecting groundwater by removing organic matter and pathogens prior to discharge back into the native soil. Over 40,000 sand mounds are now successfully treating residential sewage in the state. Development and practical refinement of sand mound technology is a testament to the research efforts of Dr. James Converse, Dr. Jerry Tyler and others at the University of Wisconsin who have substantially added to the state of the art. For further information on proper sand mound design and construction you may contact Jim Converse at jcconver@facstaff.wisc.edu.
However, even the best technology can be pushed beyond its limits. Meet Jim Gagliano and his family of eight. The Gaglianos purchased a home in 1998 along the Rock River near Watertown, Wisconsin. Within the first year they began having problems with their septic system. The mound was ponded (collecting effluent without draining) and eventually began to surface out the top of the mound and onto their front yard. This is not a pretty picture. Jeff Simes, Jefferson County sanitarian, inspected the site and concluded that the mound was being biologically and hydraulically overloaded. The system was sized for a typical three-bedroom home. However, the laundry, cooking and other wastewater generated by a family of eight was pushing this mound beyond its limits.
Despite efforts to conserve water and limit waste put down the drain, matters continued to worsen. Exasperated and with no solution in sight, the Gaglianos decided to put their home on the market for sale. Enter Jim and Steve Tesmer with Tesmer Plumbing and Bob Hamilton with NCS. Jim and Steve were familiar with the Nibbler Jr. and its proven track record of renovating failed onsite systems. After diagnosing the problem Jim and Bob were convinced the Nibbler Jr. could do the job. They offered to guarantee performance results. Skeptical, but with little to lose at this point, Jim Gagliano agreed to proceed with a Nibbler Jr. installation.