Learn About Septic Systems

About one in five households has its own septic system to treat their wastewater. Septic systems treat wastewater not only from toilets but also your laundry, showers, kitchen drains, etc. This treatment typically begins with solids settling in a septic tank and ending with wastewater treatment in the soil by means of the leach field.

Septic systems are located under the ground. Most septic systems are made up of a septic tank and a leach field. In a nutshell, wastewater flows from the household through a pipe into the septic tank. Solids sink to the bottom and oils and grease float to the top. The liquids in the wastewater exit the tank into the leach field while the solids stay in the tank and are broken down. We recommend that every three to five years you should have the septic tank pumped to remove the waste.