When people move to the rural countryside, they leave behind the comfort and ease of municipal sewer systems. One does not think twice before flushing the toilet, taking a long shower or using detergents that contain phosphates to wash clothes. Once you own one of the septic tanks that are used in the country for waste management, these will be elements that you will consider important for its proper functioning.
If you are building a new system, you may want to keep in mind that a family of three consumes one way or another about one hundred and fifty thousand gallons of water per year. Septic system installers will be able to help you determine the size of the tank he will need based on his family size and more. You’ll also need to decide what type of tank you want, whether it’s concrete, fiberglass, or plastic. For most people, concrete lasts longer and they choose that. However, it is a personal choice.
These waste tanks work on the principle of anaerobic activity. No air is exchanged inside this container and this is how it works, without air. The microbes and so on kick in and do all the work of digesting solids and so on. Bulky items such as sanitary napkins, tampons, or cotton-tipped swabs should not be flushed down the toilet. Take care to prevent cooking oils and grease from getting into the kitchen sink as well. These are not friendly to running a septic system. It is also important not to put paints and other solvents in the tank.
In order for this system to function properly, there must be adequate space for the leach or drainage field to function. Avoid any area with a lot of trees, as their roots will eventually cause problems by clogging pipes or getting into the tank and causing leaks. Some people pour a can or box of salt down the drain once a month to try to keep the small roots in abeyance. Feeding the liquid with a septic aid will also help maintain a good environment, to keep the little anaerobic critters happy.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garbage disposal, be careful not to overuse it, as all those solids could disrupt and overpower the microbes’ ability to function properly. Too much water from perhaps overdone laundry could also add more water to the reservoir than recommended. The use of biodegradable toilet paper is also recommended.
Locating the tank some distance from the house and your well would be a good thing to discuss with your county health department, along with your installer. They will both have experience that you may not have in these matters. There are legal limits to the distance for the tank, as well as the leach field. If they are not done according to code, you will be prompted to resolve the issue by moving everything. That would be expensive and easily avoided by asking the right questions of the right people in the first place.
Tank maintenance is crucial. Many experts provide conflicting information on how often a tank should be pumped. It’s past time to do this when you start to get clogged floor drains or even toilets. If your family is large, you may want to consider every three years or so. It may be able to last a bit longer if there are only two of you most of the time.
There have been people who have purchased well-developed farms that already have a septic tank system installed. The leach field was located in what was the landscaped area, where there were cherry and pear trees. These trees were very old and very productive, the pears reaching an enormous size compared to normal size pears. They didn’t seem to have any negative effect on people, so people left everything as it was.
