How does septic tank system work

Pretreated wastewater is discharged through piping onto porous surfaces that allow wastewater to filter though the soil. The soil accepts, treats, and disperses wastewater as it percolates through the soil, ultimately discharging to groundwater. If the drainfield is overloaded with too much liquid, it can flood, causing sewage to flow to the ground surface or create backups in toilets and sinks. Finally, the wastewater percolates into the soil, naturally removing harmful coliform bacteria, viruses and nutrients.

Coliform bacteria is a group of bacteria predominantly inhabiting the intestines of humans or other warm-blooded animals. It is an indicator of human fecal contamination. Do you have a septic system? If you do not know, here are tell-tale signs that you probably do: You use well water. The waterline coming into your home does not have a meter. Your neighbors have a septic system.

Checking your yard for lids and manhole covers. Contacting a septic system service provider to help you locate it. Failure symptoms: Mind the signs! Call a septic professional if you notice any of the following: Wastewater backing up into household drains.

Wastewater from your kitchens and bathrooms flows into the tank. Heavy solids will settle to the bottom of the tank, where bacteria will reduce them into gas and sludges. Lighter solids, like grease, will rise to the top and form a layer of scum. Anything that does not decompose will remain in the tank unless it is pumped. If pumping does not occur, this waste can overflow.

Wastewater that leaves the tank, known as effluent, flows through the drain field and into the gravel and soil underground, which treats the material further, as well as giving nutrients to the earth. The first thing to know is that you are responsible for the maintenance of your septic tank, as well as the quality of its discharge and the impact it has on the environment. When it comes to looking after your septic tank, more specifically cleaning it, there are steps that need to be taken for effective and safe cleaning.

To measure, dip a 6 foot pole into the tank, moving it around to check for resistance. Solids can block up the perforated pipes there, while oils can cause damage to the leached soil. At the bottom of the septic tank, a healthy population of anaerobic bacteria feeds on and digests organic waste.

This helps keep the tanks from overflowing prematurely and removes certain contaminants from the mix. At the other end, an outlet baffle prevents sludge and scum from leaving the septic tank and entering the drainfield. Once effluent exits the septic tank, it seeps into the soil via perforated pipes. The drainfield is a shallow area of uncovered land close to the house that filters untreated wastewater through rocks, dirt, and sand to remove impurities naturally.

Eventually, gravity forces the water back down into underground aquifers. A good septic system is underground and out of sight. There are usually inspection ports over each baffle, and most septic tanks also include a manhole access port, which allows pumping the tank. From the outside, an underground septic tank usually looks like a large metal or plastic box. You can usually distinguish these septic systems by the distinct inspection pipes on top of the box, often covered by green caps.

Most tanks have one or two inspection pipes and larger manhole covers for pumping. Gases are released through a vent pipe. Above-ground septic tanks usually look a little bit different. They also tend to be made of fiberglass, polymers, or some other weather-resistant material. The size of this area depends on how much water your septic tank must process. This will depend on your daily water consumption and the number of bedrooms.

A septic tank is designed to remove solids and impurities from water, which tend to build up over time. Understanding what a septic tank does is helpful in understanding how to care for your septic system. Most traditional septic tank systems have a septic tank , which is normally a big, concealed rectangular or cylindrical vessel constructed of cement, fiberglass, or polyethylene. It is not considered to be unusual for septic systems created prior to to have a single compartment and for those created after that period to have multiple compartments.

In the septic tank, bacteria that survive in the absence of oxygen tear down a portion of the organic material. Sewage from all plumbing connections flows toward the septic tank, where weighty masses sink to the lowest point, where bacterial activity creates digested slime and vapors. The lightweight masses, such as grease, oils and lipids, ascend to the highest point in efforts to create a scum film. You have to clean your septic system regularly to keep it in top condition.

A good system should only need septic tank pumping every two to three years. When you get your tank pumped , it removes solids, which improves flow and efficiency during wastewater treatment. We recommend scheduling professional septic tank cleaning. This will help you ensure that your septic tank is operating at its optimal levels and prevent toxins from building up in the system.

One of the most common maintenance mistakes is to add chemical and biological additives. There are plenty of flushable tablets that claim to help your septic system work by speeding up the breakdown process or adding additional bacteria. You will like deal with septic system failure with these chemicals.

These can upset the delicate natural balance in your tank. Flushing out septic systems too fast can affect how well the bacteria inside function.