Retaining Walls:
Not Just About Holding a Slope
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The aerobic treatment system has pumps, chambers and filters that circulate sewage effluent through perforated pipes set in a large filter bed filled with sand and pea gravel.
Photos: VERSA-LOK

New York landscape and sewer contractor Dan Ratner Sr. says an aboveground aerobic septic system is a terrific solution for homes located close to water sources or in poor soils.

Ratner and his son, who own Phoenix Enterprises in Liberty, N.Y., found a way to make a septic system more attractive—and more permanent—by enclosing the system inside a VERSA-LOK retaining wall enclosure.
The aerobic treatment system, a series of pumps, chambers and filters, circulates sewage effluent through perforated pipes set in a large filter bed filled with sand and pea gravel. The effluent discharged from the system, it’s asserted, is considerably cleaner than what comes out of a municipal treatment plant.

Normally, such a septic setup is enclosed in a box built with treated landscape timbers. Ratner thinks these are unsightly and, even though the septic systems are lined, some seepage may occur if any effluent percolates through the wood.

“You could end up with a skid of 6x6 timbers laying all over,” he notes. So he and Dan Jr. looked at alternatives. They were familiar with traditional landscaping applications for retaining walls. Essentially, the raised septic system wasn’t much different than raised garden beds they had built, so they combined the technologies.

If problems arise with the septic system and you need to get down a couple of feet into the filter bed, you just unstack the block and restack when you’re done.

“We won’t put the system in with the wood timbers now,” says Ratner.

The retaining wall costs more, but Ratner’s credo is, “You can either do a job better, or do it cheaper, and we prefer to do it better. In this particular case, we wanted a Bulova, not a Timex. We don’t want any callbacks—unless it’s to go to a Christmas party.”

Another advantage of a wall enclosure over wood, according to Ratner, is ease of access to the filter bed if problems with the septic system arise. “With wood, you’d have to tear the whole thing apart. If you needed to get down a couple of feet into the filter bed, all you’d have to do is unstack the block and then stack it back up again when you’re done.”

Ratner says his company has installed about a dozen septic systems within retaining wall enclosures. He notes the design and versatility of the retaining wall system make it easy to work with.

“Once they’re in, people love them. It looks a lot better than a bunch of green lumber in the back yard.”