If you live out of the city limits, you will most probably have your own septic tank for treating the wastewater generated at your home. Every household has a significant amount of sewage produced either from kitchen sinks, laundry, or bathrooms. Have you ever wondered how the septic tank buried under the ground in your yard can treat this much wastewater day after day?
To answer this question, you will need to know how does a Bristow, VA, septic tank work. All septic tank systems have two major sections. One is the septic tank itself that is most commonly made of either fiberglass, concrete or polyethylene, and a drain field.
How Does a Bristow, VA, Septic Tank Work?
The wastewater treatment in your septic tank begins when all the wastewater from your house reaches the septic tank through the main drainage pipe. Before we discuss what happens to this wastewater, we need to understand how a septic tank is constructed.
A septic tank is usually divided into two compartments or chambers. The wastewater from the main drainage pipe in your home is connected to the first chamber of the septic tank. Once it reaches there, the solids present in it gets settled down at the bottom. This is called sludge. Similarly, if any greasy or oily matter is present in the wastewater, it will form a top layer called scum. The liquid part present in the sewer, also known as the effluent, will remain between the sludge and scum.
The first chamber of the septic tank will be separated from the second chamber using a T shaped outlet. The specialty of this pipe or outlet is that it is often placed in the middle portion of the wall separating the two chambers. This means that the T shaped pipe will only allow the effluent to leave the first chamber and enter into the second chamber of the septic tank, leaving the sludge and scum in the first chamber.
Once the effluent reaches the second chamber, it is further allowed to settle down in the second chamber. After settling down further, whatever wastewater remains will be let out to the drain field through porous pipes. The function of the drain field is to treat, absorb, and distribute the wastewater slowly in to the soil.
Keep In mind that if the drain field is overloaded with wastewater, the sewage may leak into the soil surface, and it can also lead to backups in your sinks and toilets. If you are interested in knowing more about the working of septic tank systems or looking for a septic tank service provider, remember that SES Mid Atlantic is only a call away.