The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank by Erma Bombeck

Rural areas, and even some suburban areas, typically will not have a public sewer system. In most circumstances, there simply isn’t much choice in which type of system we live with.

In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of living with a private septic system, as well as those of living connected to a public sewer grid. Perhaps it’s simpler than all of that, a matter of understanding the pros and cons of each, and making the most of what we have by understanding how it all fits into the bigger picture of dealing with down-the-drain household waste. Should city dwellers pine for the rustic simplicity of a private septic system? Do folks in rural areas long for the sleek efficiency and “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” convenience being connected to a public sewer system? We’re familiar with the idea, or rather the concern, that “the grass is greener on the other side,” but what if we’re thinking specifically about septic tanks and whether or not being connected to a public sewer system is somehow better? Or vice versa? Way back in 1996, the writer Erma Bombeck penned a hilarious book titled The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank, in which she dissected life in suburbia and the subtle, compulsive and anxiety-producing competition over houses, cars and achievement that suburbanites experienced. Having a Septic System or connecting to Public Sewer, a widely discussed topic:

The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank by Erma Bombeck