Septic tank inspection may be required by lenders when you sell or refinance your home. The repair of a failing system is usually a cost to the seller. So, ignoring your septic system will not save money in the long term!
A septic system has two major components: a septic tank and a drainfield.
Septic Tank: Waste water flows from the house to the septic tank. The tank is designed to retain waste water and allow heavy solids to settle to the bottom. These solids are partially decomposed by bacteria to form sludge. Grease and light particles float, forming a layer of scumon top of the waste water. Baffles installed at the inlet and outlet of the tank to help prevent scum and solids from escaping. [See Figure 1.]
Newer septic tanks can have a partial concrete dividing wall in the center, thus making two compartments. This helps ensure the sludge does not get forced out of the baffle into the drainfield. Newer tanks can also have two manhole covers, one above each baffle. [See Figure 1a.]
Newer style 2-compartment septic tanks.
Drainfield (Trench): A solid pipe leads from the septic tank to a distribution box where the waste water is channeled into one or more perforated pipes set in trenches of gravel. Here the water slowly infiltrates (seeps) into the underlying soil. Dissolved wastes and bacteria in the water are trapped or adsorbed to soil particles or decomposed by microorganisms. This process removes disease-causing organisms, organic matter, and most nutrients (except nitrogen and some salts). The purified wastewater then either moves to the ground water or evaporates from the soil. Trench systems are the most common type of system used in new home construction.
An alternative to the common drain field is the Seepage Pit (Dry Well). In this type, liquid flows to a pre-cast tank with sidewall holes, surrounded by gravel. (Older versions usually consist of a pit with open-jointed brick or stone walls.) Liquid seeps through the holes or joints to the surrounding soil.
Another alternative is the Sand Mound System: These systems are used in areas where the site is not suitable for traditional septic systems. For instance, the soil may have too much clay to allow the water to seep through at the proper rate, or the water table may be too close to the ground surface. In these systems, the waste water flows from the septic tank to a storage tank. The liquid is then pumped from the tank to perforated plastic pipes buried in a mound of sand built on the original soil surface. This system provides a layer of suitable soil thick enough to ensure adequate time and distance for proper treatment of the waste water. Vegetation growing on the mound helps to evaporate some of the liquid. This is particularly important in areas with shallow water tables.
