This article is on conserving water to help you septic systems. The septic system is
an indispensable, well-designed method of treating the wastewater produced by
residences and businesses that do not have access to the city’s sewage system.
The old version of the septic system is the cesspit, which does not have an
outflow pipe. The septic system’s outflow pipe enables the more efficient
distribution of the pre-treated wastewater into the drain field. The septic
system is divided into the septic tank system and the drain field system. The
septic tank is the one that collects and primarily treats the wastewater that
the household releases. The raw wastewater stays in the septic tank until the
solid waste is broken down by the anaerobic bacteria. The clear effluent then
flow into the drain field, wherein it is further treated and purified by the
aerobic bacteria and the biomat respectively. The aerobic bacteria are found at
the surface of the drain field because they need immediate access to oxygen.
The biomat is regulated by the aerobic bacteria. If the biomat is not regulated
by aerobic bacteria, the biomat will overwhelm the system, clog it, and lead it
to failure. That is why you should make sure that your septic system is always
taken care of. Once the septic system fails, the living environment’s health
and safety will be compromised. Raw wastewater will continually overwhelm your
home and lawn, filling it with wastewater and foul odors. Surely you won’t want
to live in this type of environment.
Consider conserving water to help you maintain septic systems. Through water
conservation even in the home, you will be able to prevent a sudden flow of
greywater into the septic tank. When there is a sudden pressure of water, the
solid waste materials are stirred up. This delays the degradation process
performed by the anaerobic bacteria. Then the solid waste particles flow into
the drain field and clog it. The sudden flow of grey water into the septic tank
is brought upon by the simultaneous use of the drain field and the washing machine.
It would be best to use these appliances one at a time so that you could
regulate the amount of water that rushed into the septic tank. Another way to
conserve water is to avoid having daily tub baths. This will cut down the
substantial amount of water that enters the septic tank at one time. You could
just shower daily and just devote one
day a week for your tub time. You could also consider having a dry well to
catch the outflow of grey water from your dishwasher and washing machine. It
could also catch the runoff during heavy rains. Water conservation can also be
done by not allowing your water hose run continuously on your yard. You should
also see to it that the sprinkler system is not leaking.
Aside from saving
water, you could also do the following to keep septic systems from failing:
- Remove
the heavy structures and vehicles over or near the septic system. This requires
you to not use the septic area as a storage facility or as a garage. The weight
will damage the septic components such as the tank and the pipelines. The
damages will cause leaks and backups into your home and property. - Never
throw non-biodegradable materials and grease into your toilets and drains.
These substances cannot be decomposed by the resident bacteria. They will only
stay in the tank and clog everything, including the drain field. If this is not
corrected, the system inevitably fails. - Do
not use harsh cleaning chemicals. Harsh chemicals kill the resident bacteria in
the septic system. No bacteria, no wastewater treatment. Resort to eco- and
bacteria friendly cleaning solutions.
Septic systems are
meant to participate in keeping residential and business environments sanitary
and safe. Simply conserving water will significantly help you retain your
septic system for decades to come without any problems at all.
