Septic Tank Problems

If it was not for the septic systems, the millions and tons of gallons of waste water and material generated in an area or a city would have really made our lives hell. But thanks to our planet earth, again that we are saved of this torture. A septic system is a sewage treatment method which processes and breaks down the waste water by bacteria coming from human bodies. Once that is done, the waste water goes and adds to the underground water table, devoid of all the anaerobic material and solids.

Importance of Septic Tanks

Now, a septic tank is a major element of the septic system, devoid of any connection with the main sewage pipes. Infact, its a mini septic system in itself. Septic tanks are used to collect the waste water and facilitate the dissolution of solids in the waste water anaerobically. In addition to that, there is an outlet in a septic tank which leads the remaining liquids, after the solids are digested to an outlet into a leach field, used to remove contaminants from a septic tank. Now the left over impurities are trapped in the soil and the excess water percolates in the soil. This is how a septic system works, when there are septic tanks. Such an on-site sewage system has a tank which is divided by 2 chambers and these are very common now.

As these septic tanks collect a host of waste material, they are prone to malfunctioning, on account of corrosion, overload, pipeline issues and so on. So the following are the common septic tank system problems.

Septic Tank Problems

• Cooking Oils and grease are hard to degrade. So dumping of oils and grease in large amounts can block the inlet drains by filling up the upper portion of the tank. This can also cause difficulties with periodic cleaning of the tank as well as will emit a foul odor.
• Use of garbage disposers to dispose off the waste food can result into an early failure of the system by putting a lot of pressure on it.
• Clogging or rupture of tank and drain field may happen, if there are roots of trees or shrubbery growing above the tank.
• Inorganic material like paints and solvents can seriously damage the septic tank. In addition to that, herbicides, pesticides and substances with high bleach or caustic soda content can be detrimental to the proper functioning of a septic tank.
• Hygiene products, sanitary towels, for instance, which are non biodegradable are a big 'NO' for a septic tank. It can rapidly block or fill the septic tank.
• Incase, there is excessive water content going in the tank, it should be prevented, as that can lead to septic tank overload and eventual failure. Water conservation will avoid this problem along with checking the plumbing defects.
• Damage to the septic tank can also happen through storage buildings and playgrounds near by.
• Any impervious surface covering the drainage field, for instance a parking area or a driveway can damage the tank and absorption seriously.
• Mucus producing anaerobic gut bacteria generate slime, which results in clogging the soil pores around the drain pipe and will slow down percolation to the point where back-ups or surfacing effluent can occur.
• Nitrogen compounds are harmful for septic tanks, they should be prevented form reaching the septic tanks.

That was a brief description of septic tank problems. The other side of this issue is that if there are septic tank problems, it can lead to undesirable effects on the environment. For instance, sulfates, in the anaerobic conditions of the septic tanks are transformed into hydrogen sulfide, which is a pungent and toxic gas. And another result of this anaerobic conditions, fermentation processes take place which generate carbon dioxide and methane.

In other cases, where the density of population is very high, the acceptable limits of groundwater pollution are surpassed. So the groundwater is absolutely contaminated, which is a huge environmental hazard.

Periodical inspection and pumping of the waste material from the sewage tanks and the outlet pipes and so on, will ensure the durability and prolonged efficiency of these septic tanks.