Before the Village of Richfield had its own sewer system, families installed septic tanks and drain fields on their property to aid in proper disposal of waste water.
This 1944 photograph shows members of the Maxson family digging a drain field in their yard. The drain field, which consists of perforated pipes buried in trenches helped to remove contaminants from liquids coming from the septic tank before it was returned to the water table.
Richfield began work on its own sewer system in the early 1950s.
Publisher: Marian Maxson, used with permission.
Date: 1944
