The required volume of a residential wastewater treatment system is directly related to the anticipated daily water usage. Homes with four bedrooms generally house a greater number of occupants, leading to increased water consumption for activities such as showering, laundry, and toilet flushing. Therefore, these residences necessitate a larger capacity tank to adequately process the generated effluent.
Proper sizing of this critical component is essential for preventing system failures, such as backups and overflows. An undersized tank will not provide sufficient time for solids to settle and liquids to undergo preliminary treatment, resulting in premature drain field clogging and potential environmental contamination. Historically, sizing was often based on generalized guidelines; however, modern practice emphasizes calculations considering occupancy and fixture counts for optimized performance and longevity of the entire system.