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What is a Septic System?
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • What is a septic system? - the basics for home owners and buyers of a home with a septic tank and drainfield or alternative septic system design
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

This chapter introduces septic systems with a brief description of what a septic systems is and how it works. This is the introduction to our online book: "Septic Systems - Design, Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance" whose chapters are shown at the left of this page. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author.

Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers welcomed and are listed at "References." This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

An Introduction to Septic Systems

Sketch of a conventional septic system showing tank and drainfields What is a Septic System

A "septic system," also referred to as a private, on-site waste disposal system, receives waste water and solids from a building's plumbing facilities (bathrooms, kitchens, shower, laundry), treats, and then disposes of the effluent from this waste, by permitting it to absorb into soils at the property.

Wastewater or septic effluent treatment is accomplished by bacterial (and other microorganism) action in the "septic" or "treatment" tank and it is mostly accomplished by bacteria in the soil around and below the effluent absorption system, or "drain field." This bacterial action is needed to reduce the level of pathogens in the effluent discharges from the waste system into the soil. In addition to reducing the level of pathogens and the reduction of organic waste to a combination of new cell masses, CO2, and water, wastewater treatment removes organic matter, nitrites and nitrates, and phosphorous. In an absorption field the soil performs an additional role of filtering the septic effluent. The principal components of a private on-site waste disposal system usually include the following:

  • piping connecting the building to the treatment tank
  • a septic or treatment tank which retains solid waste
  • piping connecting and conducting clarified effluent from the treatment tank to a distribution box
  • a distribution box connecting the effluent line from the tank to the absorption system or "drain field"
  • an absorption system which permits effluent to drain to soils below
  • a bio-mat or bio-mass of pathogen-digesting bacteria which forms in soil below the absorption system.

Many variations on this general scheme are used, depending on local climate, soil conditions, available space, economy, and available materials. Special equipment and systems may be designed for problem or difficult sites such as rocky or wet ground, permafrost, or wet tropical marshlands.

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  • Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Buyers' Guide: Home Buyer's Detailed Guide to Septic Systems - Buying a Home With a Septic Tank
Cesspools if you don't know what they are.
Components of a Septic System- the Basic Parts of a Conventional Septic Tank and Leachfield, a chapter in the Home Buyers Guide to Septic Systems
Drywells if you don't know what they are.
Don't Flush these things into a septic system
Safety Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners.
Sketches of the Septic System Components Private Sewage Disposal Systems - Septic Drawing Library
Wastewater Treatment Basics describes the basic processes that occur in wastewater treatment processes
What is a Septic System An Engineer's View - Types of treatment tanks, adsorption systems, pumps, and other special equipment are discussed in some further detail in this text

Septic Systems Online Book

The Septic Systems Online Book - Where Are We?

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
  • ...
SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC INFO ARTICLES
HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
SEPTIC INSPECT & TEST
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK

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