Septic Information
HOW YOUR SYSTEM WORKS:
A typical septic system has 4 main components:
A pipe from the home, a septic tank, a drain field and the soil.
A pipe from the home, a septic tank, a drain field and the soil.
Pipe from the home:
All of your household wastewater exits your home through a pipe to the septic tank.
Septic Tank:
The septic tank is a buried, watertight container typically made of concrete. It holds the wastewater long enough to allow solids to settle out (forming sludge) and oil and grease to float to the surface (as scum). It also allows partial decomposition of the solid materials. Waste water sewage flows from the house to the septic tank. The tank is designed with an inlet baffle to retain wastewater and allow heavy solids to settle to the bottom. Compartments and a T-shaped outlet baffle in the septic tank prevent the sludge and scum from leaving the tank and traveling into the drain field area.
Newer tank generally are within 18” of ground surface. If they are deeper risers with manhole covers should be installed to allow easy location, inspection and pumping of the tank.
Newer tank generally are within 18” of ground surface. If they are deeper risers with manhole covers should be installed to allow easy location, inspection and pumping of the tank.
Tip:
To prevent buildup, sludge and floating scum need to be removed through periodic pumping of the septic tank approximately once every 2 years. Maintaining your septic is the cheapest way to keep your septic system in good working order.
Drain Field (Trench):
The wastewater exits the septic tank and is discharged into the drain field for further treatment by the soil. The partially treated wastewater is pushed along into the drain field for further treatment every time new wastewater enters the tank.
If the drain field is overloaded with too much liquid, it will flood, causing sewage to flow to the ground surface or create backups in plumbing fixtures and prevent treatment of all wastewater.
A reserve drain field generally is in an area on your property suitable for a new drain field system if your current drain field fails. Treat this area with the same care as your septic system.
Septic tank wastewater flows to the drain field, where is percolates into the soil, which provides final treatment by removing harmful bacteria, viruses, and nutrients. Suitable soil is necessary for successful wastewater treatment. An older version to the common drain field is the Seepage Pit (Dry Well). In this type, liquid flows to a pre-cast tank with sidewall holes, surrounded by gravel. (older versions usually consists of a pit with open-jointed brick or stone walls.) Liquid seeps through the holes or joints to the surrounding soil. These systems are not widely recommended, however they may still be used in some cases.
A reserve drain field generally is in an area on your property suitable for a new drain field system if your current drain field fails. Treat this area with the same care as your septic system.
Septic tank wastewater flows to the drain field, where is percolates into the soil, which provides final treatment by removing harmful bacteria, viruses, and nutrients. Suitable soil is necessary for successful wastewater treatment. An older version to the common drain field is the Seepage Pit (Dry Well). In this type, liquid flows to a pre-cast tank with sidewall holes, surrounded by gravel. (older versions usually consists of a pit with open-jointed brick or stone walls.) Liquid seeps through the holes or joints to the surrounding soil. These systems are not widely recommended, however they may still be used in some cases.
Innovative Septic Systems:
Two other alternative systems are the Sand Mound System and the Drip System. These are used when the site is not suitable for traditional septic systems. For instance, the soil may have too much clay to allow the water to seep through at the proper rate, or the water table may be too close to the ground surface.
In using a sand mound system, the wastewater flows from the septic tank to a storage tank. The liquid is then pumped from the tank to perforated plastic pips buried in a mound of sand built on the original soil surface. This system provides a layer of suitable soil thick enough to ensure adequate time and distance for proper treatment of the wastewater. Vegetation growing on the mound helps to evaporate some of the liquid. This is particularly important in the areas with shallow water tables.
In using a sand mound system, the wastewater flows from the septic tank to a storage tank. The liquid is then pumped from the tank to perforated plastic pips buried in a mound of sand built on the original soil surface. This system provides a layer of suitable soil thick enough to ensure adequate time and distance for proper treatment of the wastewater. Vegetation growing on the mound helps to evaporate some of the liquid. This is particularly important in the areas with shallow water tables.
Possible Signs of Trouble
- The septic tank has not been pumped out in the last several years. Even if the system appears to be working well, sludge may have built up to the point where wastewater is released without sufficient time in the tank for treatment and settling or particles. This situation may result in pollution of groundwater or cause eventual clogging of the drain field.
- A wet area or standing water occurs above the drain field. This situation can develop when sludge particles clog the drain field, when tree roots or broken pipes keep the wastewater from dispersing through the entire drain field, or when water use in the house regularly exceeds the design capacity of the system. When these conditions occur, wastewater does not move through the soil as it should, and instead rises to the surface creating a serious health risk and odor problems.
