How a Home Septic System Works

Septic tanks are a popular option in household drainage and waste disposal. Septic systems allow water and waste to be eliminated by draining them away from a home to a septic tank, where the liquid waste is eventually released.

Components

Septic systems are made up of three major components, the household plumbing, the septic tank and a drain or absorption field.

Plumbing

The plumbing connects from the drains and stools in a home to the septic tank outside of the home. The plumbing carries gray water and waste from the home to the tank.

Septic Tank

Once in the tank, the heavier solids, or sludge, go through a settling process and move to the bottom of the tank. Oils, grease and scum float to the top. The remaining liquids, or effluents, travel through a release system and into the drainfield.

Drainfield

The drainfield, or absorption field, is made up of a system of gravel-filled trenches containing drainage pipes. Liquid waste drains from the pipes down through the gravel and into the soil. The gravel and soil act as filters for the last of the solid waste particles, and the water is taken up into plant roots in the field or they are absorbed into the ground water.

References

• University of Maryland Extension: Septic Systems and Their Maintenance: How Your System Works
• Purdue Cooperative Extension Service: Operating and Maintaining the Home Septic System