I have a septic system, what does that mean?
When you have a septic system you are basically the operator of your own onsite waste water treatment facility. Along with this ownership comes responsibility. It is your job to ensure that the system is maintained and kept in proper working order. A malfunctioning septic system is not only an inconvenience to the home owner, but it can also pose a health risk to family members, the community and to the environment. Luckily a properly functioning system requires relatively little maintenance, but it is not maintenance free.
How does a septic system function?
A conventional septic system is a relatively simple system that relies on natural biological processes and gravity. A conventional septic system is composed of two parts: the tank and the disposal area (aka leaching area). In Arizona septic tanks are commonly made out of three materials: pre-cast concrete, fiberglass, and high density polyethylene, with pre-cast concrete being the most common. The purpose of the septic tank is to provide a location for the organic and inorganic matter to separate from the waste coming into the tank from the building. Once inside the tank, naturally occuring bacteria begins to break down (but not eliminate) the organic matter. Ideally once this separation has occured, only liquids will be displaced into the leaching area. The leaching area usually consists of horizontal rows of piping and river rock branching from a distribution box, or either a drilled or backhoe dug vertical pit with a pipe in the center that is surrounded by river rock. It is the leaching area that actually handles the job of disposing of the water by performing the final cleaning action and dispersing the waste into the soil.
How do I maintain my septic system and why is it important?
Proper maintenance of a septic system begins with what you put down the drain. Unlike city sewer, a septic system has a design flow of so many gallons per day. If the design flow is exceeded on a regular basis, backups and problems with the leaching area may result. A way to estimate your home’s design flow is to multiply the number of bedrooms by 150 gallons per day. Following this example a three bedroom home would have an estimated design flow of 450 gallons per day. Keep in mind that the average family of four uses 150-250 gallons of water per day inside the home, but this number can easily be exceeded by carelessness and practicing poor water usage. Proper function of the septic system may also be impaired by excessive use of toilet paper, baby wipes, garbage disposals and household chemicals. All of these factors can impact the need and frequency of pumping the septic tank. It is recommended by Maricopa County Department of Environmental Quality that a septic tank be pumped every three to five years.
I am careful with what I put down the drain do I still need to have my tank pumped?
This is a very common question and the answer is yes. The reason you need to have a septic tank pumped is because of retention time. Retention time is how long it takes for incoming waste to make its way through the septic tank and out to the disposal area. It is during this period of time that the solids suspended in the waste stream either settle to the bottom of the tank or float to the surface to form the scum layer. As the scum layer and solids build up over time the effective capacity of the tank is reduced. This reduction in effective capacity also causes a reduction the retention time. If the retention time is reduced, the solids in the waste stream do not have enough time to settle out before the waste is displaced out into the disposal area. If this occurs it will eventually lead to problems with the disposal area and could lead to future costly repairs. In most cases the cost of regularly pumping the septic tank is less than having to install a new leaching area.
How should my septic tank be pumped? Does it need to be cleaned too?
In Arizona, the year that your septic tank was installed can have a big impact on how the tank is pumped and cleaned. Over the years there have been many different styles of tanks installed, differing not only in materials but also how many lids are on the tank and how many compartments the tank is divided into. Regardless of how the tank is constructed or designed, the proper way to pump a tank is to pump it from the largest available opening which will usually be an 18″-24″ diameter lid. The confusion over pumping or cleaning a septic tanks comes in because some companies will charge one rate for pumping the water and another rate for pumping and cleaning the solids. Our rates include pumping the solids and the liquids because it is the only way to do it right.
How do I know I am having my tank pumped from the right opening?
This can be difficult to ascertain without seeing the system but there are several guide lines that we ourselves use to determine what to look for. By knowing what year the tank was installed we can determine what style to look for dating back to about the 1950′s. This means less time spent exposing the tank, thus a lower labor cost.
