Septic System Basics

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This is a very common question. If you live in a town or city its simple, all the contents flush from your house and drain into the sewer system which eventually makes its way to a sewage treatment plant. If you own a home in the country however, your home is not connected to city sewer and so a septic system is required. In a nutshell, a septic system works in the following way. Anytime you use your toilet, sinks or washing machines, the liquid flows into a septic tank (usually between 500-1500 gallons) and then from there enters a leach field system which filtrates the water back into the ground. 

A septic tank is a plastic, concrete, or metal tank located underground where all the plumbing in your house drains to. Septic tanks are only located on properties that don't have access to town or city main sewer pipes. You need to have your septic tank pumped regularly in order to keep the solid contents from reaching your leach field. Waiting too long could cause sewage to infiltrate your leach field eventually causing failure. Contact Us and we will be happy to pump your septic tank.

A Leach Field is basically a mini sewage treatment plant. Water, sewage, grease, and soap flow out of your septic tank into a distribution box which directs the liquid into perforated pvc pipes which filter through sand and stone, and eventually go back into a natural water source. Depending on what type of soil you have, you may need  a standard stone bed system or a sand filtration system. The size depends on how many bedrooms you have. At times, depending on the layout of your yard you may need a septic pump as well.