Septic Tanks

How to know if your system is failing

These symptoms tell you that you have a serious problem:

Sewage backup in your drains or toilets. This is often a black liquid with a disagreeable odor.

Slow flushing of your toilets. Many of the drains in your house will drain much slower than usual, despite the use of plungers or drain cleaning products.

Surface flow of wastewater. Sometimes you will notice liquid seeping along the surface of the ground near your septic system. It may or may not have an odor associated with it

Lush green grass over the absorption field, even during dry weather. Often, this indicates that an excessive amount of liquid from your system is moving up through the soil, instead of downward, as it should. While some upward movement of liquid from the absorption field is good, too much could indicate major problems.

The presence of nitrates or bacteria in your drinking water well. This indicates that liquid from the system may be flowing into the well through the ground or over the surface. Water tests available from your local health department will indicate if you have this problem.

Buildup of aquatic weeds or algae in lakes or ponds adjacent to your home. This may indicate that nutrient-rich septic system waste is leaching into the surface water. This may lead to both inconvenience and possible health problems.

Unpleasant odors around your house. Often, an improperly vented plumbing system or a failing septic system causes a buildup of disagreeable odors around the house. sep h it.system?

A number of products are marketed with the pledge that they can keep septic systems operating smoothly, correct system upsets, or do away with the need to pump the tank periodically. Chemical additives are strong acids or alkalis, or organic solvents. Biological additives are cultures of harmless bacteria, plus waste-digesting enzymes. These sometimes contain yeast cultures.

Although some manufacturers of additives have test data showing how their products perform, there has been almost no independent testing of these products in full-sized septic systems. The information that exists does not show improved long-term performance in systems where additives have been used. If a system is not being misused by the homeowner, these products are unlikely to pose a benefit. The amount of material added with each dose of product is very small compared to the biological material already present and working in the tank.

Occasionally a system suffers an upset, when the septic tank bacteria are harmed or destroyed. This can happen if the home is vacant for a long period and the tank receives no fresh wastewater, or if strong cleaning agents are flushed down the drain. After a few days of normal use, the biological system in the tank will re-establish itself. In this situation the biological additives may help speed the recovery of the septic tank.

Every septic tank needs to be pumped periodically, because all wastewater contains inert matter that cannot be degraded in the tank. No additive can do away with this need.

Your Home Septic System

Most homes in Florida are connected to a public sewage treatment system. However, over 1.3 million families (about 27% of Florida's housing units) live in rural and sparsely developed suburban areas not served with a public system.

Properly sited, designed, constructed, and maintained septic systems can provide an efficient and economical wastewater treatment alternative to public sewer systems.

People who have septic systems or who plan to buy property that has or will have a septic system should understand what the system does and how to use and maintain it.

WHAT DOES A SEPTIC SYSTEM DO?

Wastewater from homes is a by-product of most of the water-using processes carried on in the home. An average of 40 to 50 gallons of wastewater is produced per person per day. The purpose of on-site sewage systems is to dispose of these wastes and to treat the water so it will be safe when it reaches drinking water supplies or recreational waters. The septic system consists of more than just the septic tank itself. In fact, the largest part of the treatment of the wastewater actually takes place in the soil beneath the drain field.

The Septic Tank

Wastewater flows through a pipe into the septic tank. Baffles or "tees" at the inlet and outlet of the tank slow the flow of water and prevent sewage from flowing directly through the tank.

Bacterial action within a septic tank helps to break down the solids in the wastewater that enter the tank. The tank must be large enough, and the rate of flow small enough, to ensure sufficient "residence time" of wastewater in the tank. Even when the tank is working properly and solids are being broken down at a rate sufficient to prevent their movement into the drain field, partially digested solids and any materials that cannot be digested sink to the bottom of the tank and accumulate as sludge. Grease, foam, and lighter particles float to the surface and form a layer of scum. The exit baffle arrangement holds back sludge and scum while allowing a partially digested wastewater to flow out of the tank.

It is important that sludge and scum not get out of the tank and into the drain field as they can clog soil pores and cause the septic system to fail. If allowed to build up in the tank, the volume available to accommodate liquid is drastically reduced. Therefore, the tank must be pumped out periodically.

Sizes of septic tanks that are required for different sizes of families and establishments are defined in Chapter 1OD-6 of the Florida Administrative Code, which sets the standards for on-site sewage disposal system design and installation in the state. With the exception of parts of extreme south Florida, the standards are uniform across the state. In addition, some counties have established rules that are more restrictive than state code. Information on state and county standards and their implications for individual systems may be obtained from the environmental health office of your county health unit.

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