What is a Septic Tank?
Ever asked “what’s a septic tank?” Well if you’re thinking some kind of infected storage receptacle then think again – Septic tanks are essentially small scale sewage and waste water treatment plants for properties not connected to mains drainage.
Septic tanks usually range from 2800-5000 litre capacity – one side of the tank gets connected to the waste pipe of the property and the other end to what’s known as the drainage field or soak-away. A septic tank should have a T- pipe on the inlet and the outlet so that no solid waste enters the drainage field.
OK so why “septic”? This refers to the fact that anaerobic bacteria (the type that breeds without needing lots of oxygen) work on and mineralize the waste that is discharged into the tank.
What happens inside a Septic Tank? When waste enters the first chamber, solids settle and a scum floats to the surface and forms a crust, and the settled solids get digested by the bacteria. Remaining liquid waste flows to the second and third chamber where more settlement of the waste happens – are you keeping up? Finally, excess water flows out via the outlet to the drainage field for further treatment from the soil.
OK then but what about the remaining solid waste? This must be removed by having the tank emptied at least once a year.