YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM…
- Is a highly efficient biological system which can effectively digest and disperse
your household sewage and other organic wastes.
- Properly designed, installed and maintained, it should give you many years of trouble-free service.
BUT ONLY IF IT IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
- The key to the life and service of any septic system is proper maintenance.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- A septic system is designed to condition untreated liquid household waste (sewage) so that it can be readily dispersed and percolated into the subsoil. Percolation through the soil accomplishes much of the final purification of the effluent, including destruction of disease-producing bacteria.
- Your septic tank is the first step in the process of sewage conditioning. Without it, the untreated sewage would quickly clog the receiving soil and prevent the purification process of leaching and soil percolation. .
SEPTIC TANK SERVES THREE FUNCTIONS:
- Removal of solids. As sewage enters the septic tank, its rate of flow is reduced so that the larger solids sink to the bottom or rise to the surface. These solids are retained in the tank, and the clarified effluent with suspended and dissolved solids is discharged. .
- Bacterial Action. The solids and the liquidsin the tank are partially decomposed by bacteria and other natural processes. These bacteria are called anaerobic because they thrive in the absence of free oxygen. This decomposition of sewage under anaerobic conditions is termed “septic”, hence the name of the system (and the cause of the odor).
- Sludge & scum storage. Sludge is the accumulation of solids at the bottom of the tank, while scum is a partially submerged mat of floating solids that may form at or near the surface. Space must be provided in the tank to store these residues during the intervals between cleaning. Otherwise, the sludge and scum will eventually be scoured from the tank and will clog the leach field and receiving soil.
PERIODIC CLEANING OF YOUR TANK IS ESSENTIAL TO ITS PROPER FUNCTION.
- Finally, the treated effluent from the septic tank is discharged to the leach field where it percolates through suitable gravel and finally into the subsoil for further purification.
- A PROPERLY MAINTAINED SEPTIC SYSTEM WILL ADEQUATELY TREAT YOUR SEWAGE.
- A SEPTIC SYSTEM FAILURE IS UNHEALTHY, ILLEGAL, AND A NUISANCE.