A septic tank before installation |
The same tank partially installed in the ground | | | A septic tank, the key component of a septic system, is a small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewerage pipes provided by private corporations or local governments. (Other components, typically mandated and/or restricted by local governments, optionally include pumps, alarms, sand filters, and clarified liquid effluent disposal means such as drain fields, ponds, or peat moss beds.) Septic systems are a type of On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF). In North America approximately 25% of the population relies on septic tanks; this can include suburbs and small towns as well as rural areas. In Europe they are generally limited to rural areas only. from http://www. ...
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Image File history File links Landpeople_s_cc8. ...
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Septic drain fields are used to remove contaminants and impurities from the liquid that emerges from the septic tank. ...
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. ...
Species See text. ...
This article needs to be wikified. ...
North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...
Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ...
Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52...
The term "septic" refers to the anaerobic bacterial environment that develops in the tank and which decomposes or mineralizes the waste discharged into the tank. Adding a supplemental bacterial agent to the tank will accelerate the digestion of solids in the tank. The alternative to a septic tank is to use an aerobic system involving artificial aeration.[1] Anaerobic digestion is the breakdown of organic matter by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. ...
Aeration is the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid (usually water) or substance (such as soil). ...
Periodic preventive maintenance is required to remove the irreducible solids which settle and gradually fill the tank, reducing its efficiency. In most jurisdictions this maintenance is required by law, yet often not enforced. Those who ignore the requirement will eventually be faced with extremely costly repairs when solids escape the tank and destroy the clarified liquid effluent disposal means. A properly cared for system can last for decades and possibly a lifetime. Preventive maintenance (PM) has the following meanings: The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they develop into major defects. ...
The hose used to remove the waste solids from the septic tank to the truck's tank is called the "honey dipper". The trucks which carry the removed materials away are euphemistically called "Honey Trucks". A cesspool emptier is a type of specialized tanker-lorry which can suck contaminated water out of hollows such as cesspools and sewage tanks and carry it to a suitable disposal point. ...
Description
A septic tank generally consists of a tank of between 1,000 and 1,500 gallons (4000 - 5500 litres) which is connected to an inlet wastewater pipe at one end and to a septic drain field at the other. These pipe connections are generally made via a T pipe which allows liquid entry and egress without disturbing any crust on the surface. Today the design of the tank usually incorporates two chambers (each of which is equipped with a manhole cover) which are separated by means of a dividing wall which has openings located about midway between the floor and roof of the tank.
Wastewater enters the first chamber of the tank, allowing solids to settle and scum to float. The settled solids are anaerobically digested reducing the volume of solids. The liquid component flows through the dividing wall into the second chamber where further settlement takes place with the excess liquid then draining in a relatively clear condition from the outlet into the leach field, also referred to as a drain field, or seepage field, depending upon locality.
 Septic tank lift pump alarm system located in a house. The remaining impurities decompose in the soil, and the water is eliminated through percolation into the soil, and eventually taken up through the root system of plants or added to the groundwater. A piping network, often constructed in a stone filled trench (see weeping tile), distributes the wastewater throughout the field with multiple drainage holes in the network. The size of the leach field is proportional to the volume of wastewater and inversely proportional to the porosity of the drainage field. The entire septic system can operate by gravity alone, or where topographic considerations require, with inclusion of a lift pump. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 350 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (732 × 1254 pixel, file size: 185 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Taken with my camera while house hunting on July 17, 2007. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 350 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (732 × 1254 pixel, file size: 185 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Taken with my camera while house hunting on July 17, 2007. ...
In chemistry and other physical sciences, percolation is a type of filtering. ...
Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ...
ROOT is an object-oriented software package developed by CERN. It was originally designed for particle physics data analysis and contains several features specific to this field, but it is also commonly used in other applications such as astronomy and data mining. ...
Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants...
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of geologic formations. ...
Weeping Tile was a Canadian rock band in the 1990s. ...
Septic drain fields are used to remove contaminants and impurities from the liquid that emerges from the septic tank. ...
An electrically driven pump (electropump) for waterworks near the Hengsteysee, Germany. ...
An Imhoff tank is a two stage septic system where the sludge is digested in a separate tank. This avoids mixing digested sludge with incoming sewage. Also some septic tank designs have a second stage where the effluent from the anaerobic first stage is aerated, before it drains into the seepage field. The Imhoff tank is a chamber suitable for the reception and processing of sewage. ...
In the context of creating Plutonium at the Hanford Site, effluent refers to the cooling water that is discharged from a nuclear reactor that may or may not be radioactive. ...
Waste that is not decomposed by the anaerobic digestion eventually has to be removed from the septic tank or else the septic tank fills up and undecomposed wastewater discharges directly to the drainage field. Not only is this bad for the environment, but if the sludge overflows the septic tank into the leach field, it may clog the leach field piping requiring expensive repairs.
How often the septic tank has to be emptied depends on the volume of the tank relative to the input of solids, the amount of indigestible solids and the ambient temperature (as anaerobic digestion occurs more efficiently at higher temperatures). In general it is rare for a septic tank system to require emptying more than once a year, and by careful management many users can reduce emptying to every 3 to 5 years. When emptying a tank, only a small residue of sludge should be left in the tank. Anaerobic decomposition is rapidly re-started when the tank re-fills.
A properly designed and normally operating septic system is odor free and besides periodic inspection and pumping of the septic tank should last for decades with no maintenance.
A well designed and maintained concrete, fiberglass or plastic tank should last about 50 years.[2]
Potential problems - Excessive dumping of cooking oils and grease can fill up the upper portion of the septic tank and can cause the inlet drains to block. Oils and grease are often difficult to degrade and can cause odor problems and difficulties with the periodic emptying.
- Flushing non-biodegradable hygiene products such as sanitary towels and cotton buds will rapidly fill or clog a septic tank and these materials should not be disposed of in this way.
- The use of waste macerators or grinders for disposal of waste food can cause a rapid overload of the system and early failure.
- Certain chemicals may damage the working of a septic tank, especially pesticides, herbicides, materials with high concentrations of bleach or caustic soda (lye) or any other inorganic materials such as paints, solvents etc.
- Roots from trees and shrubbery growing above the tank or the drain field may clog and or rupture them.
- Playgrounds and storage buildings may cause damage to a tank and the drainage field. In addition, covering the drainage field with an impervious surface, such as a driveway or parking area, will seriously affect its efficiency and possibly damage the tank and absorption system.
- Excessive water entering the system will overload it and cause it to fail. Checking for plumbing leaks and practicing water conservation will help the system's operation.
- If the system is damaged or malfunctions, contact your local health or environmental authority before attempting any repairs. Improper repair can result in costly mistakes and potential health hazards.
Under-sink garbage disposal shown with optional dishwasher drain hose and air gap, top left. ...
Environmental issues Some pollutants, especially sulfates, under the anaerobic conditions of septic tanks, are reduced to hydrogen sulfide, a pungent and toxic gas. Likewise, nitrates and organic nitrogen compounds are reduced to ammonia. Because of the anaerobic conditions, fermentation processes take place, which ultimately generate carbon dioxide and methane, both of which are known greenhouse gases. In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate (IUPAC-recommended spelling; also sulphate in British English) is a salt of sulfuric acid. ...
Hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulphide in British English), H2S, is a colorless, toxic, flammable gas that is responsible for the foul odor of rotten eggs and flatulence. ...
Odor receptors on the antennae of a Luna moth An odor or odour (see spelling differences) is a chemical dissolved in air, generally at a very low concentration, which we perceive by the sense of olfaction. ...
Toxic redirects here, but this is also the name of a song by Britney Spears; see Toxic (song) Look up toxic and toxicity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
An electrostatic potential map of the nitrate ion. ...
Nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (-NO2). ...
Ammonia is a compound with the formula NH3. ...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
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Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. ...
The fermentation processes cause the contents of a septic tank to be anoxic with a low redox potential, which keeps phosphate in a soluble and thus mobilized form. Because phosphate can be the limiting nutrient for plant growth in many ecosystems, the discharge from a septic tank into the environment can trigger prolific plant growth including algal blooms which can also include blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Above is a ball-and-stick model of the inorganic hydrogenphosphate anion (HPO42−). Colour coding: P (orange); O (red); H (white). ...
Orders The taxonomy of the Cyanobacteria is currently under revision. ...
Soil capacity to retain phosphorus is large compared with the load through a normal residential septic tank. An exception occurs when septic drain fields are located in sandy or coarser soils on property adjoining a water body. Because of limited particle surface area, these soils can become saturated with phosphate. Phosphate will progress beyond the treatment area, posing a threat of eutrophication to surface waters.[3]
In areas with high population density, groundwater pollution levels often exceed acceptable limits. Some small towns are facing the costs of building a very expensive centralized wastewater treatment system because of this problem, owing to the high cost of extended collection systems. Too often, the efficient and economical alternative of a properly designed decentralized wastewater treatment plant is not considered.
To slow pollution, building moratoriums and limits on the splitting of property are often imposed. Ensuring existing septic tanks are functioning properly is also helpful for a limited time, but it is not the solution. Once polluted, groundwater is very slow to clean - thus urgent action is appropriate.
The common expression the grass is always greener over the septic tank (which is also the title of an Erma Bombeck book) is technically incorrect. The grass is greener over the leach field, which is better watered and has more nutrients than the surrounding land. However, it is not unusual to find better growth over the septic tank itself as well, particularly the end nearer the leach field. Erma Louise (Harris) Bombeck (February 21, 1927 - April 22, 1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for a newspaper column that depicted suburban home life in the second half of the 20th century. ...
"Septic tank" in slang In Cockney Rhyming Slang (common in Britain and Australia) "septic tank" or, more commonly, simply "septic" or "seppo" is used as a pejorative word for an American, based on a rhyme for "Yank". The pejorative nature of the term is further underlined by its referral to a container for storing human waste. See also "Sherman Tank" (= wank). Cockney rhyming slang (sometimes initialized as CRS) is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ...
This page describes terms, jargon and slang related to surfing and surf culture. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with pejoration. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Use of the word American. ...
Look up Yank in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
In an episode of the British panel show "Q.I.", Stephen Fry mentioned the neologism "listerine", from a mouthwash whose antiseptic properties made it suitable for rhyming slang use to refer to anti-Americans. QI, standing for Quite Interesting and a play on IQ, is a comedy panel game television show hosted by Stephen Fry and shown on BBC Two and BBC Four. ...
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, novelist, filmmaker and television personality. ...
A neologism (Greek νεολογισμός [neologismos], from νÎος [neos] new + λόγος [logos] word, speech, discourse + suffix -ισμός [-ismos] -ism) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ...
The term Honey wagon is a euphemism originally referring to a horse drawn wagon carrying a tank of liquid manure or sewage. Today a tanker truck equipped with a sludge pump to empty septic and conservancy tanks is also euphemistically known as a "honey sucker". SLUDGE (Scripting Language for Unhindered Development of a Gaming Environment) is a shareware adventure game engine developed by Hungry Software. ...
See also Backwater can mean: Water held or pushed back by or as if by a dam or current. ...
A bioreactor may refer to any device or system that supports a biologically active environment. ...
A cesspit, or cesspool,(also known as zesspit or zesspool) is a pit, conservancy tank, or covered cistern, which can be used for sewage or refuse. ...
Ecological Sanitation One person produces about 500 litres of urine and only 50 litres of faeces per year. ...
A grease trap is a receptacle that kitchen wastewater flows through before entering the sanitary sewer lines. ...
Male Latrine. ...
Outhouse near Crabapple Lake, USA, with chipboard walls, and a fiberglass ceiling This article refers to an outhouse, privy or kybo that is an old type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or sewer attached. ...
Species See text. ...
A perc test (from the word percolation, alternatively spelled perk test) is a test to determine the absorption rate of soil for a septic drain field or leach field. In order to gain the permits necessary to build a house, the surrounding land must be tested to determine if the...
Pit toilet in Tunisia A pit toilet is a method of collection of human waste, used for composting, controlled decomposition, or waste disposal used most often in areas with no sewer system. ...
A plumber at work. ...
A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for potable water systems and the drainage of waste. ...
Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...
A buildings waste-disposal system has two parts: the drainage system and the venting system. ...
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ...
Piping is used to convey fluids (usually liquids and gases but sometimes loose solids) from one location to another. ...
Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις, putrefaction) is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. ...
The partially treated waste store in a septic tank is called Septage. ...
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. ...
A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ...
Waste management is literally the process of managing waste materials (normally those produced as a result of human activities). ...
External links
References - ^ Septic Systems for Waste Water Disposal. American Ground Water Trust. Retrieved on 2006-07-11.
- ^ Septic Tanks: The Real Poop. University of California Extension. Retrieved on 2006-07-11.
- ^ Craig G. Cogger. eb1475 Septic System Waste Treatment in Soil. College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Pullman, Washington. Retrieved on 2006-07-11.
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