Appreciating Scum And Sludge: The Septic Tank As A Sewage System

Septic tanks have become Marion County's latest preoccupation. The basics on septic tanks were shared by the county Chief Sanitarian through an article who wrote which he distributed to the residents of Marion County.

The article's goal was to aid the residents in developing appreciation for the septic tanks. Underdeveloped regions will benefit greatly from septic tanks. Here, a filter bed or tile disposal field must be installed to dispose of the effluent.

The color of fresh septic tank runoff is dark grey and it has bubbles, giving it an appearance pretty much like soapy water. There is approximately one pound of solids present in 150 gallons worth of sewage.

One half of the solid portion of the effluent is composed of vegetable and animal matter and the other half is made up of minerals. The vegetable and animal matter composition disintegrates into a forty percent suspension which clears up in time and the other 60 percent in solution that remains unchanged.

The clearance of the effluent portions that settle and don't settle is the chief predicament in sewage treatment. Sewage is usually delivered from the house to a special digestive tank called a septic tank, which is simply a retaining chamber which assists and speeds the natural decomposition process. At the top of the tank, scum, which is formed from grease and lighter parts of waste, is present while at the bottom, decomposition of solid matter takes place.

Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are responsible for the disintegration of waste matter. The solids are diminished into liquids and gases after the bacteria have acted upon them.

The small quantity cannot be decomposed and instead forms sludge at the bottom of the tank. The bacteria action is essential to the successful operation of the tank.

Chemicals that are flushed into the tank hinder the decomposing activity of the bacteria. Residents are not encouraged to use lye and other chemical preparations to unclog drains.

The amount of liquid that goes into the tank is equal to the amount that is forcefully expelled from the tank and the balance of liquid levels is maintained this way. Fresh sewage is diverted towards the base of the tank through the action of a structure at the inlet of the tank known as the baffle.

This arrangement permits the scum to remain undisturbed and limits the possibility of raw sewage being discharged immediately. Installed in the outlet of the tank is another baffle which helps the inlet baffle achieve its goal.

The malodorous characteristic of discharged effluent is not resolved by the decomposition that takes place. Not in any way should rain drains be attached to a septic tank. A septic tank with a holding capacity of 500 gallons should be enough to provide for a two bedroom home.

Bigger houses require tanks with a bigger capacity, thus a 1000 gallon septic tank is recommended for each large house. Septic tanks should be tidied up once every three years.