BE SEPTIC SMART
One in five Americans is on a septic system. A limited number of Danville residents use septic as their means of treating the sanitary sewage from their homes.
Check out the EPA's website for tips on managing your waste and maintaining your system to ensure it works well, long into the future! www.epa.gov/septicsmart
Check out the EPA's website for tips on managing your waste and maintaining your system to ensure it works well, long into the future! www.epa.gov/septicsmart
All About Septic Tanks
www.groundwater.org
According to groundwater.org, a septic system has two main components:
•the septic tank – a buried watertight container made of materials such as concrete fiberglass, or plastic.
•the drainfield – also referred to as a leachfield, drainfield, or soil absorption system, consists of perforated pipes or chambers within a series of trenches or mounds lned with gravel and buried one to three feet below the surface.
Waste enters the tank from household plumbing and enters the septic tank. The tank holds the waste long enough to allow solids and liquids to separate and form three layers:
•Scum layer – solids lighter than water, such as greases or oils, float to the top
•Liquid layer – partially clarified wastewater
•Sludge – solids heavier than water settle at the bottom of the tank
Treatment of the wastewater begins in the septic tank as naturally-occurring bacteria in the sewage work to break down the organic matter in the tank. Sludge and scum that cannot be broken down remain in the tank until it is pumped. The partially clarified liquid layer then flows through an effluent filter out of the tank and into the drainfield for final treatment.
The wastewater (effluent) entering the drainfield may contain many potentially harmful microorganisms and pollutants, many of which can be effectively removed through soil treatment. Water flows through the perforated pipes or chambers and slowly trickles through the gravel and into the surrounding soil, where the natural processes in the soil complete the sewage treatment process.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends inspecting septic systems every three years and pumping as necessary, generally every three to five years. DON’T try to inspect or pump your septic tank yourself—you may put yourself in harm’s way. Contact a certified professional to do the job.
Want to learn more? Check out this guide on septic systems!
•the septic tank – a buried watertight container made of materials such as concrete fiberglass, or plastic.
•the drainfield – also referred to as a leachfield, drainfield, or soil absorption system, consists of perforated pipes or chambers within a series of trenches or mounds lned with gravel and buried one to three feet below the surface.
Waste enters the tank from household plumbing and enters the septic tank. The tank holds the waste long enough to allow solids and liquids to separate and form three layers:
•Scum layer – solids lighter than water, such as greases or oils, float to the top
•Liquid layer – partially clarified wastewater
•Sludge – solids heavier than water settle at the bottom of the tank
Treatment of the wastewater begins in the septic tank as naturally-occurring bacteria in the sewage work to break down the organic matter in the tank. Sludge and scum that cannot be broken down remain in the tank until it is pumped. The partially clarified liquid layer then flows through an effluent filter out of the tank and into the drainfield for final treatment.
The wastewater (effluent) entering the drainfield may contain many potentially harmful microorganisms and pollutants, many of which can be effectively removed through soil treatment. Water flows through the perforated pipes or chambers and slowly trickles through the gravel and into the surrounding soil, where the natural processes in the soil complete the sewage treatment process.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends inspecting septic systems every three years and pumping as necessary, generally every three to five years. DON’T try to inspect or pump your septic tank yourself—you may put yourself in harm’s way. Contact a certified professional to do the job.
Want to learn more? Check out this guide on septic systems!
