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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME

SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
INTRODUCTION
Wastewater Treatment Basics
Next Chapter: SAFETY WARNINGS
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What is a Septic System?
SepticAPedia ^©

What is a septic system? - the basics for home owners and buyers of a home with a septic tank and drainfield or alternative septic system design

Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.

This chapter introduces septic systems with a brief description of what a septic systems is and how it works. This is the introduction to our online book: "Septic Systems - Design, Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance" whose chapters are shown at the left of this page. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers welcomed and are listed at "References." This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

An Introduction to Septic Systems

What is a Septic System

A "septic system," also referred to as a private, on-site waste disposal system, receives waste water and solids from a building's plumbing facilities (bathrooms, kitchens, shower, laundry), treats, and then disposes of the effluent from this waste, by permitting it to absorb into soils at the property.

Wastewater or septic effluent treatment is accomplished by bacterial (and other microorganism) action in the "septic" or "treatment" tank and it is mostly accomplished by bacteria in the soil around and below the effluent absorption system, or "drain field." This bacterial action is needed to reduce the level of pathogens in the effluent discharges from the waste system into the soil. In addition to reducing the level of pathogens and the reduction of organic waste to a combination of new cell masses, CO₂, and water, wastewater treatment removes organic matter, nitrites and nitrates, and phosphorous. In an absorption field the soil performs an additional role of filtering the septic effluent. The principal components of a private on-site waste disposal system usually include the following:

piping connecting the building to the treatment tank
a septic or treatment tank which retains solid waste
piping connecting and conducting clarified effluent from the treatment tank to a distribution box
a distribution box connecting the effluent line from the tank to the absorption system or "drain field"
an absorption system which permits effluent to drain to soils below
a bio-mat or bio-mass of pathogen-digesting bacteria which forms in soil below the absorption system.

Many variations on this general scheme are used, depending on local climate, soil conditions, available space, economy, and available materials. Special equipment and systems may be designed for problem or difficult sites such as rocky or wet ground, permafrost, or wet tropical marshlands.

The Septic Systems Online Book - Where Are We?

This Chapter: INTRODUCTION of the Septic Systems Online Book
Next Chapter: SAFETY WARNINGS
Contents: CONTENTS of the Septic Systems Online Book

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.

Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)

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