One of Those Things Everyone Should Know

Image showing the components of a septic system - septic tank, distribution box, and standard trench drain field.

We have all had those conversations- why don’t they teach that in school?  We can fill in the blanks, but one that amazes me that no one teaches is how a septic system works.  This is a fact of life for anyone that lives outside of the city water/sewer system.  At home, you always waited until there was a problem and then dealt with it then.  I think people think that it is something that is self-sufficient (until something actually breaks) and will continue to run on its own indefinitely.  It is NOT!  I say this down here all the time “Everything takes maintenance!”  This is no exception.  If you know how it works, and you maintain it, you can save yourself a LOT of aggravation.  This will take 3 weeks to publish the full article, but here we go.

A reprint from Penn State Extension, Faith Kibuye, Extension Program Specialist, Water Resources: https://extension.psu.edu/septic-system-basics

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Wastewater from our homes can contain a wide variety of contaminants, including disease-causing pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses), nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), heavy metals, as well as contaminants of emerging concern like pharmaceuticals and personal care products, among others. Wastewater must be effectively treated to protect both human and environmental health.

Septic systems treat and dispose of wastewater from sinks, laundry, showers, and toilets from homes or buildings in rural areas where centralized sewer systems are unavailable. Septic systems are also commonly called on-lot or on-site sewage treatment systems because they typically treat and dispose of wastewater within the same property where it is generated. About 26% of Pennsylvania households use septic systems to treat their domestic sewage.

Septic system components

A conventional or traditional septic system is the most commonly used type. As seen in Figure 1 below, the basic components include a septic tank, distribution box, and drain field.

1. Septic tank

The septic tank is an underground container that collects all the wastewater flow from the home or building. They have an inlet pipe that brings in wastewater from the residence or building and an outlet pipe where partially treated wastewater eventually exits the tank, see Figure 2. As the first stop for all the untreated sewage, the septic tank should be water-tight; therefore, most tanks are commonly made of concrete but can also come in other materials such as plastic or fiberglass.

Septic tanks are generally sized based on the number of bedrooms in the home because the number of bedrooms indicates household size and can thus be used to estimate wastewater volumes from the home. For example, a house with three bedrooms in Pennsylvania must have a 900-gallon or larger septic tank. The more bedrooms, the larger the septic tank.

Septic tanks can have one or two compartments (or chambers). One-compartment tanks were common in the past, but double compartments are becoming more common today. A double-compartment septic tank is divided into two sections by a dividing wall within the tank. The double-compartment tanks have become popular because they provide better wastewater treatment. As Figure 2 shows, septic tanks must also have inspection ports above both the inlet and outlet for checking the condition of the baffles and covered access ports to each chamber for pumping and cleaning the tank.  (part 2 next week)
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.