What Is a Septic System?
A septic system is a type of wastewater treatment system that can be used to treat wastewater from a house or a building. It is a biological system that uses microorganisms to break down waste into harmless compounds. A septic system is a wastewater treatment system that uses the soil to treat small wastewater flows. Septic systems are typically used in rural or large lot settings where centralized wastewater treatment is impractical.
A conventional septic system consists of a septic tank, a distribution box and a drainfield, all connected by pipes, called conveyance lines. A septic system is a type of sewage disposal system that helps to treat and purify wastewater.
A properly functioning septic system does not pollute the groundwater.
Get Familiar With Your Septic System
One in five homeowners in the United States uses a septic system to dispose of wastewater. Neglect and abuse of a septic system can lead to serious problems, like expensive emergency repairs.Understanding your septic system and how it works is key to keeping it healthy and functional. Septic tanks are a critical part of wastewater treatment and should be treated regularly.
Septic tanks can fail if they’re not properly maintained and repaired. A wastewater treatment professional can help you care for your septic tank, including tips on maintenance and repairs. Septic systems are essential in modern society, as they help maintain clean water and remove waste.
The main components of a septic system are the pump, tanks, and pipes. Septic systems can be either public or private. When dealing with a septic system, it is important to know how to properly operate the system in order to avoid backups or spills.
If you experience signs of an impending backup such as foul odor, excessive noise from your pump, or greenish water on the ground then it is important to call a professional immediately!
Have It Pumped Routinely
The average cost of pumping a residential septic tank is between $300 and $600, depending on the size of the tank. When you call a septic service provider, they will also inspect for leaks and examine the sludge layers in your septic tank. Remember to save ALL maintenance records on work performed on your septic system. They will come in handy should problems arise, or when you sell your house .
A concrete D-box should last 20 years unless tree roots have penetrated it, heavy machinery has damaged it, or sludge has built up. Signs of a failed box are comparable to a septic tank blockage or drain field issue.
Spread Your Washing Machine/Dishwasher Usage Throughout the Week
To save water, try to do a full load (to ensure you’re not wasting water) a couple of days a week. It’s important to take steps to eliminate wasteful water usage in your kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. When you wash dishes by hand, don’t keep the water running the whole time. Lather your hands up with soap, but don’t turn on the water until you’re ready to rinse them off.
While it might feel nice to take long hot showers, it’s better on your septic system if you make each shower quick or use the laundry machine every time one of the members of your household needs to clean a shirt or pair of pants instead of using all of one machine.
Laundry can overload a septic system if it is washed in one large load. Wash clothes on different days of the week to avoid overloading the septic system.
Think About What You Dump Down the Kitchen Sink Drain
You should think about what you dump down the kitchen sink drain. Everything you throw away should be examined to see if it can be repurposed. Don’t put cooking oil, grease, paint or chemicals down the drain. When you flush the toilet, water drains from a tub, shower, vanity or kitchen sink into a septic tank. You don’t want to connect your sink to the septic tank.
What is wastewater? wastewater is water that has been cleaned and treated by the municipal sewage treatment plant. What are some of the things that can go down the drain untreated? Some of the things that can go down the drain untreated include:
* food waste
* pet wastes
* industrial waste (chemicals, oil, grease)
How do we treat wastewater? We treat wastewater by using a variety of technologies to clean it and remove harmful pollutants. These technologies include:
* primary sludge bed reactors (PSBRs) – these are large tanks where organic material and heavy metals are settled out and removed through biological processes
* secondary sludge beds – these smaller tanks house microorganisms which help to break down pollutants
* contact tanks – these tanks contain a mixture of water and chemicals which help to break down pollutants
What are some of the benefits of treating wastewater? The main benefits of treating wastewater include:
* reducing the amount of harmful pollutants released into the environment
*. reduced instances of bacterial contamination)
Be Careful With Cleaning Chemicals
Cleaning products homeowners use can harm the good bacteria in a septic system. Avoid using chemicals like bleach when washing clothes. If you absolutely have to, use a small amount. Do not use drain cleaners, which, aside from killing the good bacteria, can damage the tank itself.
Toilet bowl cleaners are also bad for your septic as they typically contain bleach. Avoid antibacterial soaps and disinfectants that contain quaternary ammonia as well
Protect Your Drainfield
Protect your drainfield from damage by keeping vehicles, heavy equipment, and livestock off the area. Make sure gutters and sump pumps empty water far away from the drainfield. Avoid planting trees or shrubs close to the drainfield, as roots could interfere with pipes. Properly landscape your system so that grass is the best cover and don’t put concrete or plastic over it
A septic service professional can provide you landscaping options around your septic system. Protecting your drainfield is important to ensure proper function of your septic system. Properly maintaining your drainfield can help prevent backups and pollution of the environment.
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If you have foul, lingering odor coming from your drains, it may be time to empty your house septic tank. If your septic system is slow or backed up, it may be due to a full tank. Standing water could be a sign that the tank is overflowing.
Missing pieces in the slurry in the septic tank could mean a damaged baffle and leach field failure
Inspect and Pump Frequently
Your average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service professional. Alternative systems with electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components should be inspected more often, generally once a year. With a properly sized tank getting moderate use, Lewis says it’s possible to go five to eight years without pumping, although he agrees that it’s better to pump more often than not often enough.
Septic tanks have a T-shaped outlet to prevent sludge and scum from leaving the tank; if the bottom of the scum layer reaches within 6 inches of the bottom of the outlet or if the top of the sludge layer gets to within 12 inches of the outlet, it’s time to pump the tank.
Inspect your dog’s ears regularly to check for signs of ear infection. Pump their ears often to clear any discharge or pus from the ear. If your dog has a persistent or recurrent ear infection, see a veterinarian for treatment.
Properly Dispose of Waste
Anything that goes down the drain ends up in your septic system, regardless of whether you flush it or not. Flushing things down the toilet, garbage disposal, or shower can disrupt your septic system and lead to problems. Instead of using the garbage disposal, properly dispose of food waste by cooking it or composting it. Dispose of food waste in a compost bin. Dispose of yard waste in the correct way. Properly dispose of electronics and batteries.
Don’t Overload the Septic Tank and Drain field
To avoid overloading the septic tank, install your hot tub on the side of the house opposite from the septic system. To drain the water from your hot tub, empty it onto a turf or landscape that directs the flow away from your house and the septic drain field.
Use Garbage Disposals Wisely
Garbage disposals should only be used for unconsumed or rotted soft perishables such as old tomatoes, bananas and oranges. Do not use the garbage disposal for anything that would clog a drain or form gunk along the inner–walls of the sewage pipes.
Use a compost pile instead of a garbage disposal for expired produce.
Septic System Do’s and Don’ts
Keep a record of all inspections, repairs, and engineering work. Install water-conserving devices in faucets, showerheads, and toilets. Put paint thinner, polyurethane, anti-freeze, pesticides, some dyes into the system. Use a garbage grinder or disposal that feeds into the septic tank if you use one – it must be pumped more often!
Tree roots will clog your pipes; heavy vehicles may cause your drainfield to collapse
