When
you flush your toilet, take a shower, or rinse food down
the sink, you are creating wastewater. Wastewater is
made up of two very different components: liquids and
solids.
The
solids are captured in your septic system's
"holding tank." The holding tank is basically
a big concrete box where your wastewater sits quietly
for a while so that solids can sink to the bottom or
float to the top. The solids are then stored or
"held" in the holding tank until they can be
removed by a septic system contractor. While the solids
are being held, bacteria break-down the waste and reduce
its volume. But remember, it's not magic! The solids in
your holding tank shrink as they break down, but they
never disappear. Eventually, the solids have to be
cleaned-out.
Once
the solids have separated from the liquids in the
holding tank, the liquids flow out of the tank to the
"leaching field." The leaching field spreads
the liquids over a large underground area. Beneficial
bacteria in the soil digest the pollutants in the
liquid, and then the purified water percolates through
the ground to join your community's groundwater.
Learn
How To Maintain Your Septic System.
Learn
How Septic Systems Can Fail.
