There are three main strategies for septic tank venting: These gases must be released to prevent a build-up of pressure that could stop or reverse the flow of wastewater. The most common is hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs.
#Household wastewater treatment systems professional
As a minimum, we recommend that you ask a septic professional to clean your filter every time they pump your tank.Ī septic tank vent allows gases to safely escape your septic tank.īacteria in your tank generate gases as they break down wastewater contaminants. The exact timing depends on the design of your septic tank and how much you use it. Because it protects a drain field so effectively, some jurisdictions require this type of filter to be installed in new septic tanks.Įffluent filters need to be regularly cleaned. It traps suspended solids (fine particles) that would otherwise clog your septic drain field. This design keeps sludge and scum from leaving the tank, which prevents them from clogging your outlet pipe or drain field.Īn effluent filter is a cylindrical device installed in the septic tank outlet baffle. Tanks with two compartments have one baffle wall, and single-chamber tanks have no baffle wall at all.Īn outlet baffle is a device that directs wastewater from the mid-level of your septic tank to the pipe that leads to your drain field. Tanks with three compartments have two baffle walls. The number of baffle walls depends on the number of compartments in your septic tank. It also has an opening that allows liquid wastewater to flow to the next section of the tank. The wall keeps most floating scum and settled solids in the first compartment. It also reduces wastewater agitation, which makes it easier for solids to settle on the bottom of the tank.Ī septic tank baffle wall (sometimes called a partition wall or divider wall) separates compartments in your septic tank. This design keeps surface scum from clogging the inlet pipe. It exits the tank through a pipe that leads to your septic drain field.Ī septic tank inlet baffle is a device that directs raw wastewater downward to the mid-level of your septic tank. Liquid wastewater sits between the scum and sludge layers. Helpful bacteria break down some of these solids and turn them into liquid waste. Solid particles settle on the bottom of the tank and form sludge. It holds wastewater long enough for it to separate into three layers:įats, oils, and greases float to the surface and form scum. Less common names for a septic tank include:Ī septic tank may seem complicated, but the way it works is actually quite simple. The tank then pipes partially clarified effluent downstream for further treatment or final dispersal. It provides primary wastewater treatment with the help of naturally occurring bacteria that break down solids and organic material. Treated wastewater reaches groundwater, which eventually drains into nearby streams, rivers, and lakes.Ī septic tank is an underground and watertight container made of concrete, polyethylene, fiberglass, or steel.These impurities may include harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, and nutrients. In your native soil, any remaining impurities are removed.Aerobic bacteria (bacteria that need oxygen) break down contaminants as wastewater percolates through the layer of gravel and into your native soil.Perforated pipes in your drain field allow wastewater to seep into a layer of gravel.
Wastewater from your toilet (called blackwater) and your shower, bathtub, sink, washing machine, and dishwasher (called greywater) runs into a main drainage pipe that leads to your septic tank.For a fuller understanding of how a conventional septic system works, we can break the wastewater treatment process into 10 steps: In your drain field, bacteria break down wastewater pollutants and treated effluent returns to your property’s soil and groundwater. It retains solids and scum in a septic tank and pipes liquids to your septic drain field. A conventional septic system works by collecting wastewater from your toilets and drains.
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