We have a disposal in our current house and our new build (not yet occupied), both on septics. We use the disposal judiciously and have had zero issues because of it.

Neither property has an oversized tank because of the disposal. Including the new build, I will have had four homes with disposals on septic systems. I have never heard of oversizing a tank to handle the disposal, but I did live in one area that simply banned disposals on septic systems.

There have been a number of threads on this subject. A search should bring them up.

Having lived with septics for many years, I have an opinion. I prefer no disposal because 1) unneeded, organic matter can be used to make compost for the garden 2) more cost 3) human waste solids will dissove in the tank meaning you virtually never need to pump a tank out, it turns to liquid and flows to the field. Once you add vegetable matter and heaven-forbid animal matter that will either sit in the tank and require pumping or chunks could flow to the field and clog the holes in the perforated pipe, although they most likely will sit at the bottom of the tank. It may appear to be a waste of water running it with a disposal, but actually all the water returns to the ground.

Thank you both for your responses. I did actually do a search and I didn't really quite get the answer I was looking for. I currently have a septic tank and a garbage disposal that I have stopped using. I had a problem with the vegetable peelings I was putting down the disposal clogging a drain pipe. So, I went back to composting and only use the disposal when things accidentaly go down.So, I am predisposed to forgo the disposal in the new build.

The septic installers where we're using to build in WV didn't have a concern about having a disposal and didn't add extra capacity. Both companies we talked with advised that we should be careful in the use but their concerns were more towards potential clogging of pipes if the disposal doesn't do a good job- they are also steering us towards more efficient disposals as well but have more research to do in that area.

Vegetable peelings are a good example of what should not go into a septic system. That sort of thing overloads the septic system if you do it on a regular basis. Minor scraps are OK. Heavy doses of material not digested first by a human will cause problems.

Other things that shouldn't go into the septic include eggshells, coffee grounds and tea leaves. These items pose a risk of floating out into the drain field and clogging it.. Lint for the washer is alleged to do the same. Filters are available for that purpose.

"...human waste solids will dissove in the tank meaning you virtually never need to pump a tank out, it turns to liquid and flows to the field."

Except the fiber in your diet, the toilet paper cellulose, and at least a portion of the other 'solid waste.'

Tank pumping is not for the liquid in the tank, but the solids that cannot be aerobically digested in a tank, and they are there.

If you fail to pump a tank the field will eventually be ruined when solids cannot settle out adequately and flow into the field.

they are also steering us towards more efficient disposals as well but have more research to do in that area.

We installed the unit linked below. We haven't moved in yet, so no reports on how well it works. It is nice and small, and takes up less space below the sink than average.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waste King EcoGreen 1000

There have been numerous threads on garbage disposals and septic systems, here and in Kitchens. They are banned some places, such as where I live. Some people never have an issue, others ruin their leach field and learn a very expensive lesson. So, you are going to get some responses that say "I've had one for 30 years, never pumped, and never had a problem" to responses like what my DH would write, which would be "never have a garbage disposal with a septic system" (he knows of what he speaks, he is licensed to install and design in 3 states).

As others mentioned, the issue is what floats into the leach field. I would like a GD, primarily to pull the water down the drain faster. But I won't risk it because we have a very expensive leach field due to the clay soil around here.

Don't deliberately use your garbage disposal to scrape plates into. Use it only to grind up the occasional scrap you'd have to scrape out of a sink sans disposal, and you'll be fine. The problem is that some people use it to try to get rid of all their food wastes. We used to run ours MAYBE once a week, just to keep everything clean, and it never ever got full.

During the septic pumping, our contractor will come to your property with a tanker truck and pump out sludge and scum with a vacuum hose. After the sludge and scum are removed, our tanker drives to a municipal waste treatment facility, where the waste can be processed and turreated in accordance with environmental regulation.