How does a Loudoun County VA septic system work? Do I need one? Those are two excellent questions. For many of our state’s residents, the answer to the second question is no since you are already connected to the city’s sewer system. That means the first question becomes an interesting answer to have the next time you are playing a trivia game of some kind. However, if you need a septic system for your home, then understanding why and how it works can be very important.
A septic system is an enclosed tank that handles the waste from your home or business. Usually, developers install where there is no plumbing network in place to connect the structure to existing city or county sewer system. The reason for that normally has to do with the area geography or type of soil.
Specifically, a sewer system often fails in an area with steep slopes. Gravity pushes back against the wastewater and either back it up into the structure or causes the pipes to burst at their weakest point. If the soil is too shallow to bury the sewer lines, then they become exposed to weather and fail at the first, hard freeze. Similar problems happen if the ground is too rocky, has a lot of clay or sand, or if the groundwater is very high and close to the surface.
A properly installed septic system eliminates these problems. The amount of pipes is minimal and is primarily inside the facility, safe from the changes in temperature. How does a Loudoun County VA septic system work then? The inside pipes connect to one waste line that exits the building and enters the septic tank. The waste generates its bacteria which breaks down solid matter like poop and toilet paper. This is a good time to remind that you should never flush anything except poop, toilet paper, and urine into a septic tank.
Now, you may ask how does a Loudoun County VA septic system work if everything stays in the tank? Eventually, SES removes everything of course. Waste, tank truck comes in on a regular schedule to remove the waste before the level rises high enough to back up the system. The size of the tank, the type of facility it services, and how many people are using it on a daily basis determines the removal schedule.
For example, a three-bedroom home with four residents and a 10,000-gallon tank usually needs removal once every four to six weeks. A small office building with 20 people working from 8 to 5 utilizes a 20,000-gallon tank but needs a tank truck to pump out the waste about every three to four weeks.
If you have any questions about how does a Loudoun County VA septic system work, contact SES Mid Atlantic at 866-249-5630 today. We are beginning our thirty-first year in business and provide an extensive number of options regarding tanks, removal schedules, and maintenance options for every type of home and business in our area.