Taking Good Care of a Septic System

All modern buildings and houses in the United States have access to running water and sewage disposal utilities, and most of these utilities are public ones in cities and towns across the nation. This is not a new idea, in fact; even the ancient Romans had running water in lead-coated pipes, which delivered water to houses and public baths. But today’s utilities are far more advanced, from fresh water tanks to sewage treatment plants and more. Meanwhile, around 25% of homes are too remote to access these utilities, so as a substitute, they use septic tanks and septic systems on their properties to dispose of dirty water. A septic system is a self-contained, independent sewage disposal system that needs minimal human input, and it can clean up dirty water and return it to the natural water cycle. How does this work? And when is it time to call for septic tank repair crews? A homeowner can look up “septic removal near me” to find them, or “septic repair companies near me” to get help.

How a Septic System Operates

A septic system’s work begins when the house flushes dirty water through pipes that feed right into the underground septic tank. Such tanks are quite large, able to hold many gallons of content at once, often two or three days’ worth of used water at a time. In this tank, bacteria colonies will break down solid waste, which will settle to the tank’s bottom as particles. Those particles form a thick sludge, and fats and oils will float to the water’s surface. This will leave relatively clean water in between, and this process will last for a few days. Then, the relatively clean water will pass through a filtration grate (which further cleans it), and it passes deeper into the system.

Now, the partially cleaned water passes through a series of branching pipes that are found just under the soil’s surface, and nozzles and holes in those pipes allow the water to leach right out. The water is cleaned even more as it leaks through loose gravel, dirt, and bacteria colonies, and it is now clean and safe enough to re-enter the natural water cycle. This takes place in the drainage field of the property, and it is the final step of the septic cleaning process.

Caring for the Septic System

This system operates on its own, but will sometimes need repair or cleaning work done so it can continue functioning correctly. Why might a homeowner look up “septic removal near me” or “septic pumping nearby”? Take note that the sludge building up in the septic tank cannot leave that tank, so it keeps building up over time. Once that tank is one third to one half full, it is time to find “septic removal near me” online and hire a crew to pump out the waste material. A homeowner can use a long stick ( often called a “sludge judge”) and insert it into the tank to measure the sludge’s level.

Once a homeowner looks up “septic removal near me” and hires a crew, those workers will arrive with a large tank on a truck, and dig up the septic tank’s hatch. The workers then open that hatch and attach a large hose, and the truck’s pumps will draw up all waste material inside and store it in the truck’s own tank. Once this is done, the septic tank is buried again and the waste material is hauled away. This may be done once every few years.

Meanwhile, a very old septic tank may start leaking or breaking down, and it must be unearthed and replaced at once. Also, if the tank’s filtration grate is clogged, it should be cleaned off, and if it’s damaged, it ought to be replaced or repaired right away. Another issue may be the drainage field’s pipes, which can get clogged on the inside over time and thus suffer restricted water flow. Workers can dig up these pipes and scour their insides clean with pressurized water, and repair or replace any damaged pipes. Finally, take note that no motor vehicles should be allowed to drive across the drainage field, since the vehicle’s weight will compress the soil and block the field’s natural water filtration.