"Septic System Overview"
 Your Septic system is a way to dispose of household waste and water
in a sanitary fashion. Septic systems are a type of On-Site Sewage
Facility. In North America approximately 25% of the population
relies on septic tanks; this can include suburbs, small towns as
well as rural areas.
The term "septic" refers to the anaerobic bacterial environment that
develops in the tank and which decomposes or mineralizes the waste
discharged into the tank.
While bacteria consumes most of this matter, some of it is not
biodegradable and must be pumped out when the tank is full. Periodic preventive maintenance is required
to remove the irreducible solids which settle and gradually fill the
tank, reducing its efficiency. It is important that you perform
preventive maintenance on your Septic Tank/System. A properly
maintained system, can last for decades and possibly a lifetime.
Brothers Johnson, Inc. Septic
Systems is here to help
YOU in ensuring proper
and efficient maintenance of your Septic System.
Warning Signals:
- Sluggishness when
flushing toilet.
- Any plumbing
backups.
- Gurgling sounds
in the plumbing.
- Grass in the yard
growing faster and greener in one particular area.
- Ground mush
underfoot.
- Obnoxious odors
inside or outside.
- Low spots
beginning to appear in yard, whether or not any of the above
symptoms have occurred.
Do?s:
-
Know the location
and capacity of your septic tank system.
-
Have a qualified
company, like
Brothers Johnson, Inc. Septic System, inspect your
tank every three years.
-
Have your tank
pumped when the combined depth of the sludge and scum equals 1/3 of
the tank liquid volume.
-
Grow grass or
small plants above the system.
-
Install water
conservation fixtures or devices to reduce the total volume of water
entering the system.
-
Keep plumbing
fixtures such as toilets and faucets in good repair to prevent
leakage/wasting of water.
Preventive Problems:
-
Excessive dumping of cooking oils and grease into your septic tank,
it may cause the inlet
drains to block. Oils and grease are often difficult to degrade and
can cause odor problems and difficulties with the periodic emptying.
-
Flushing non-biodegradable items such as cigarette butts and hygiene
products such as sanitary towels and cotton buds will rapidly fill
or clog a septic tank; these materials should not be disposed of in
this way.
-
The use of garbage disposers for disposal of waste food can cause a
rapid overload of the system and early failure.
-
Certain chemicals may damage the working of a septic tank,
especially pesticides, herbicides, materials with high
concentrations of bleach or caustic soda (lye) or any other
inorganic materials such as paints or solvents.
-
Roots from trees and shrubbery growing above the tank or the drain
field may clog and or rupture them.
-
Playgrounds and storage buildings may cause damage to a tank and the
drainage field. In addition, covering the drainage field with an
impervious surface, such as a driveway or parking area, will
seriously affect its efficiency and possibly damage the tank and
absorption system.
-
Excessive water entering the system will overload it and cause it to
fail. Checking for plumbing leaks and practicing water conservation
will help the system's operation.
-
Historically at least not all varieties of
toliet paper were suitable for disposal in a septic tank as they did
not deteriorate sufficiently (or, at least at somepoints in
history, some toliet paper was specifically marked as suitable.
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