How Does A Septic System Work?
How Does a Septic System Work?
Have you ever wondered ” How does a septic system work? ” Understanding how a septic system works can give you a better understanding of what exact problems that you may be having. Please read on below to find out more information.
What Is A Septic System?
A septic system is an underground wastewater treatment structure, a septic system processes the wastewater from your household plumbing. Everything from your bathrooms, drains, and laundry, and kitchen is processed through the septic system. With the right combination of time-tested technology and nature’s processes, this system ensures that wastewater is managed appropriately and doesn’t pollute the environment.
What Is The Design of a Septic System Like?
The design of this system is fairly simple, though it does require vigilance to ensure it maintains proper functioning. The septic tank is a watertight container made of plastic or concrete that is buried underground. It has two pipes connected- an inlet connected to the house’s plumbing and an outlet connecting it to the drainage field.
When your waste leaves the house, it enters the septic tank where it settles and forms three distinct layers. Solids settle to the bottom. This lowest layer is the collected sludge which is composed of inorganic material and bacterial byproducts. The second layer fills most of the volume of the tank and is the watery effluent. The final top layer is composed of all the fats, oils, and greases. This is called the scum.
How Scum and Sludge Can Cause Issues?
With a proper baffle on the outlet, scum and sludge are prevented from leaving the tank while waste water (middle layer) exits freely into the drain field. The drainfield is a large covered field filled with stone that’s established as a way for anaerobic bacteria to completely decompose the harmful materials from the wastewater. Perforated pipes allow wastewater to filter through the stone, ensuring oxygen reaches the bacteria and water drains naturally into the soil. The soil treats and disseminates water through the soil and eventually into the groundwater and aquifer.
Why Bacteria is Necessary
In the septic system, bacteria are the superheroes doing all the work. Some sit in the tank but most of the work is done out in the fields. In the tank, bacteria process some of the material to be transformed into effluent that can flow through the pipes and out into the field. The stone in the field provides enough oxygen so that bacteria can do their work in processing organic material in the soil. Breaking down the waste enough that water can disperse through to the groundwater, bacteria are the key to any septic system’s success.
If the field gets flooded with too much water or get’s clogged up from excessive sludge, helpful bacteria are at risk of dying. When this is the case, you’ll see waste products rise up to the ground level and your sinks and toilets will get backed up. This is why it’s so important to hire license professionals to consistently pump your tank to ensure that no harmful toxic sludge clogs up your leaching bed (tile bed). It’s more cost effective to keep this system routinely maintained than to replace your septic system from years of neglect.
At Advanced Septic Solutions Inc, we service Clarington and surrounding area. If you are looking for any septic services including septic tank pumping, holding tank pumping, septic repairs & services, maintenance & inspections or FAQ.