Method of discharging septic tank filtered effluent

A method of discharging filtered effluent from a septic tank containing waste water having a significant concentration of waste solids distributed into a lower horizontal sludge layer and an upper horizontal scum layer with a relatively clear horizontal layer therebetween through which waste solids migrate in a generally vertical direction between said sludge and scum layers, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a hollow filter enclosure, having a filtering surface with exterior and interior sides, respectively, within said septic tank;
• (b) exposing the exterior side of said filtering surface to waste water occupying a predetermined level within said septic tank located above said sludge layer and below said scum layer, while simultaneously preventing exposure of said exterior side of said filtering surface to waste water within said septic tank which does not occupy said predetermined level by surrounding said filtering surface with a housing having apertures located in said housing to correspond to said predetermined level of said waste water, said housing being otherwise impervious to the passage of said waste water;
• (c) exposing an incremental effluent discharge apparatus, communicating between the interior and exterior of said septic tank and having a cross sectional area for conducting effluent which is smaller than the area of said filtering surface, operatively to the interior side of said filtering surface while preventing operative exposure of said discharge apparatus to waste water exterior of said filtering surface;
• and
• (d) passing effluent, from said waste water occupying said predetermined level, through said aperatures and said filtering surface from the exterior side to the interior side thereof and thence through said incremental effluent discharge apparatus to the exterior of said septic tank by passing said effluent through said incremental effluent discharge apparatus in predetermined incremental amounts which are insufficient to permit said scum layer to descend into said pedetermined level.