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Figure 1: Septic Tank and Drain Field

Domestic wastewater contains dirt, soap, food, grease, bodily wastes etc which are carried down the drain and out of house by means of well managed sewer system. This wastewater, which starts in sinks, toilets, showers, and washing machines, not only carry solid waste but also can carry nutrients and pathogens which can impair water quality and cause disease. Since wastewater treatment systems are designed to remove and break down these contaminants, all the wastewater should be properly treated before they are drained to nearby water system

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Anita Kansakar
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73 views

Figure 1: Septic Tank and Drain Field

Domestic wastewater contains dirt, soap, food, grease, bodily wastes etc which are carried down the drain and out of house by means of well managed sewer system. This wastewater, which starts in sinks, toilets, showers, and washing machines, not only carry solid waste but also can carry nutrients and pathogens which can impair water quality and cause disease. Since wastewater treatment systems are designed to remove and break down these contaminants, all the wastewater should be properly treated before they are drained to nearby water system

Uploaded by

Anita Kansakar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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On Site Wastewater Treatment (Septic Tank)

Domestic wastewater contains dirt, soap, food, grease, bodily wastes etc which are carried down the
drain and out of house by means of well managed sewer system. This wastewater, which starts in sinks,
toilets, showers, and washing machines, not only carry solid waste but also can carry nutrients and
pathogens which can impair water quality and cause disease. Since wastewater treatment systems are
designed to remove and break down these contaminants, all the wastewater should be properly treated
before they are drained to nearby water system. Basically there are two ways of wastewater treatment
system, Off-site and On-site. Off-site wastewater system which is often called as municipal sewage
treatment system collects all the wastewater generated within the municipality through the connected
pipe networks. Using this system wisely saves taxpayer money and protects water resources. But
sometimes Offsite wastewater treatment is often out of sight and mind; in such case Onsite waste water
treatment system such as Septic system can be used.

There are different kind of onsite wastewater treatment including mound systems, constructed
wetlands, sand filters, and aerobic treatment units but this study focus on traditional septic system
which consist of septic tank and drain field (Fig. 1). Here is how the septic tank system works:

Figure 1: Septic tank and Drain field

1. Wastewater from your home enters the septic tank (Figure 1).
2. In the tank, solids settle to the bottom, where bacteria feed on the solids and break them down.
The baffle prevents solids from leaving the tank until they are broken down.
3. The liquid then flows through a pipe into a distribution box.
4. The distribution box directs the flow out into the drain field, which consists of underground
pipes in shallow beds of gravel or soil (Figure 2).
5. The liquid flows through small holes in the drain field pipes and seeps into the gravel or soil,
which filters more waste from the water and reduces harmful pathogens.
Advantages of Septic Tanks

 Septic tanks in the long run are more cost effective and reliable.
 It needs little maintenance
 Nutrients from waste are returned to soil.
 A properly designed, well-maintained system can last for more than twenty years.
 The bacteria are aerobic, so the speed of the bacteria breaking down the waste increases
immensely. An aerobic system will break down solids faster so fewer solids will reach the
draining field and groundwater

Figure 2: Mechanically pumping of night soil from septic tank.

Disadvantages of Septic tanks

 The septic system is not feasible everywhere as its location is highly influenced by natural soil
type and permeability, bedrock and groundwater elevations, and site topography etc.
 The septic tank should be located at certain set-backs from water supply and drainage lines,
which may be very difficult to maintain such regulation in urban area.
 Improperly functioning systems can introduce nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and
bacteria land viral pathogens into the surrounding area and groundwater which is significant
health hazard.
 Septic tanks should be emptied (mechanically) periodically (Fig. 2) and the night soil should be
disposed hygienically. If the tank does not get cleaned it can cause rapid clogging in absorption
field, which causes premature failure.
 This system is mostly suitable for the areas where suitable site for drain field is available.
 This system is not suitable where the soil permeability is low.
 This system is unsuitable for the area where the ground water table is high.
 This system is not designed for neutralizing wide variety of household chemical such as, paints
solvents acids drain cleaners. These chemicals can harm septic tank microbes that digest and
treat waste.
 The system is designed to manage a specific volume of wastewater, if it is more than the system
can handle the wastewater backs up in the house or yard and creates a health hazard.
 Septic tanks are not design to handle large quantities of water at once. So this type of system is
not suitable where bathing tubes are used. Emptying tub water into the septic system stirs the
solids in the septic tank and pushes them out into the drain field causing it to clog and fail.
 Most of the soaps and cleaners contain harsh chemicals which kills the bacteria within the septic
tank, so the waste water from bathroom cannot be flushed in septic tank. A separate provision
should be made to drain waste water to drain field.

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