Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Onsite sewage facilities (OSSF), also called septic systems, are wastewater systems designed to treat and dispose of effluent on the same property that produces the wastewater, in areas not served by public sewage infrastructure. A septic tank and drainfield combination is a fairly common type of on-site sewage facility in the Western world.
A septic drain field, a septic tank, and associated piping compose a septic system. The drain field typically consists of an arrangement of trenches containing perforated pipes and porous material (often gravel) covered by a layer of soil to prevent animals (and surface runoff) from reaching the wastewater distributed within those trenches. [1]
A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater flows for basic sewage treatment. [2] Settling and anaerobic digestion processes reduce solids and organics, but the treatment efficiency is only moderate (referred to as "primary treatment"). [2]
Most of the solids are removed by the septic tanks, so the treatment plant can be much smaller than a typical plant. In addition, because of the vast reduction in solid waste, a pumping system, rather than a gravity system, can be used to move the wastewater. The pipes have small diameters, typically 1.5 to 4 inches (4 to 10 cm).
The aeration stage and the disinfecting stage are the primary differences from a traditional septic system; in fact, an aerobic treatment system can be used as a secondary treatment for septic tank effluent. [1] These stages increase the initial cost of the aerobic system, and also the maintenance requirements over the passive septic system.
Upgrade to a faster, more secure version of a supported browser. It's free and it only takes a few moments:
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
In the U.S., every plumbing fixture must also be coupled to the system's vent piping. [1] Without a vent, negative pressure can slow the flow of water leaving the system, resulting in clogs, or cause siphonage to empty a trap. The high point of the vent system (the top of its "soil stack") must be open to the exterior at atmospheric pressure.