septic tanks buried in the ground

You have them. We clean them. But why are septic systems necessary? It’s a fair question, and a fun one that we decided to take up and write about today.

If you are new to owning a septic system, or have just never really thought about the reason why your property has one, read on to find out why they are necessary.

Why Use Septic Systems?

Some households are serviced by public sewage systems. When you flush your toilet or run the water in your house, it flows down the drain, into the sewer and is taken to a public wastewater plant for treatment.

If you don’t live in an area serviced by a public sewage system, your plumbing depends on a septic system to treat and dispose of the wastewater that comes from your home.

Septic System Basics: The Components

There are three basic components to every septic system:

  • The septic tank: septic tanks accept wastewater from your home, store it and allow for the separation of solids from liquids before flushing the water into the drain field. Heavy solids settle on the bottom of the tank so as not to clog the pipes in the drain field.
  • The drain field: drain fields, also known as leach fields, are simply a network of pipes that take water from the septic tank and flush it into the soil, where further treatment of the water can take place.
  • The soil: the soil beneath your drain field further treats wastewater before it is drained and flushed into the groundwater deep underneath your property.

Why is it Important to Have Tanks Pumped?

Septic maintenance is an important part of the process. If your tank is not pumped and cleaned every few years, it can overflow and backup into your plumbing and home.

Your tank is there to collect the solids from wastewater that can clog drain fields, and although the solids do break down over time, you will always fill up the tank faster than the waste can break down. This is why septic tank pumping is necessary to maintaining a healthy system.

Get Your Tank Cleaned Regularly

If you don’t know when the last time was that you had your septic tank pumped, you should have a professional come out and inspect your system immediately. Even if you don’t know what services your septic system needs, contact our team here at AAA Wastewater, we will be able to inspect your tank and perform any maintenance it needs. Give us a call at (937) 878 -5225 or email us today.