What is a Septic Tank and How Does It Work

A septic tank is an underground tank made of concrete, fiberglass, or glass that contains several chambers and collects all household wastewater from a home while removing pollutants from the wastewater and retaining solid matter. It is ideal if you live in a house in an area without sewerage or not connected to the existing sewerage network, especially in rural areas. The septic tank is designed and sized based on the number of people living in the house and the total water consumption.

How Does a Septic Tank Work?

The household wastewater from the house, such as from the washing machine, sink, or toilet, reaches the sewer pipes, then flows into the septic tank through the wastewater inlet pipe. The wastewater enters the first chamber of the tank, allowing solid materials to settle and lighter ones to float. The solid matter that reaches the bottom of the septic tank is digested by anaerobic bacteria present, resulting in a sludge. The liquid component passes through a partition with a hole into the second chamber of the septic tank, where it is further filtered. The resulting liquid, much cleaner than the initial wastewater, will flow through the drainage network, which consists of perforated pipes placed on a bed of gravel, at a depth of 80 cm in the ground. The remaining impurities are eliminated into the soil along with excess water through evaporation and absorption by plants.

The solid matter remaining in the septic tank is removed using a vacuum truck that extracts the deposited sludge through a tube. Septic tanks are designed to be emptied every 1-3 years, but depending on water consumption, this can be done more frequently. For less frequent emptying, the use of bioactivators is recommended, which are microorganisms that act on the solid matter in the septic tank, digesting it and resulting in much smaller quantities of sludge deposited at the bottom. This way, unpleasant odors around the house disappear, fewer bacteria are eliminated into the soil, and emptying can be done at longer intervals or can be completely avoided.

It is important to know that septic tanks do not freeze in winter because a biological fermentation process occurs inside, releasing heat. And, perhaps the most important aspect, a septic tank is not an option, but a necessity.

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