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The following information is excerpted from a pamphlet distributed by the Clark County Health District

CARE AND FEEDING

OF

INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM

If you are like most people, you know very little about your septic system. This is understandable. In areas where sewer is not available to carry household waste to municipal wastewater treatment plants, septic tank systems provide the functions of both sewer and treatment plants.

All household waste is disposed of through the septic system. The proper operation of the septic system is essential to health, property value, and the ecology.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” was never more true than it is with septic tank care. A small commitment to the care of your septic system will protect you indefinitely from the nightmare created by a failing system. This pamphlet will try to give you a better understanding of how household waste is treated from drain to soil.

THE INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM

The Individual Sewage Disposal System (ISDS) is a small, on-site treatment and disposal system buried in the ground. The ISDS is comprised of a septic tank and a soil absorption area.

THE SEPTIC TANK

The septic tank is a watertight box usually made of pre-cast concrete, concrete blocks or reinforced fiberglass. When household waste material enters this box, several things occur:

1.    Organic solid material floats to the surface and forms a layer of what is commonly called “scum.” Bacteria in the septic tank biologically convert this material to liquid.

2.    Inorganic or inert solid materials and the by-products of bacterial digestion sink to the bottom of the tank and form a layer commonly called “sludge.”

3.    Only fairly clear water should exist between the scum and the sludge layers. It is this clear water - and only this clear water - that should overflow into the soil absorption area.

Solid material overflowing into the soil absorption area should be avoided at all costs. It is the solids overflow that clogs soil pores and causes septic systems to fail. Two main factors cause solid material to build up enough to overflow: Bacterial deficiency and lack of sludge removal.

Bacteria must be present in the septic tank to digest the organic solids. Normal household waste provides enough bacteria to digest the solid UNLESS any harm is done to the bacteria. Bacteria are very sensitive to environmental changes. Many home-care products used every day will destroy bacteria. Check the labels of products you normally use. Labels carrying any of the following warnings will kill bacteria.

1.    Harmful or fatal if swallowed

2.    Avoid contact with the skin

3.    Do not get in open cuts or sores

4.    If comes in contact with eyes, call a physician immediately

Bacteria must be present to digest and liquefy the scum. If not digested, the scum will accumulate until it overflows, clogging the soil absorption area or causing household plumbing to backup.

The sludge in the septic tank - inorganic and inert material and by-products of bacterial digestion - is not biodegradable and will not decompose. If not removed, sludge will accumulate until it overflows, again clogging the soil absorption area or causing household plumbing to backup.

THE SOIL ABSORPTION OR LEACHING AREA

There are three basic types of soil absorption systems - fields, trenches, and pits.

Fields and trenches utilize perforated pipe to carry the clear liquid from the septic tank to a designated area where the liquid can be either absorbed into the soil or absorbed into the atmosphere. The pit is lined with unsealed blocks and the clear liquid is absorbed into the soil.

The main dangers to the soil absorption area are the clogging of the perforated pipe or of the unsealed blocks in the pit. This clogging can be caused by the solids coming from the septic tank or may be caused by roots getting into the soil absorption area.

DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM

An ISDS will serve a home satisfactorily only if it is properly designed, installed, and adequately maintained. Even a good system which does not have the proper care and attention may become a nuisance and burdensome expense.

The Clark County Health District (CCHD) recommends that the septic tank be pumped approximately every four to five years to remove the sludge build-up in the bottom of the septic tank. Some septic tanks may require pumping on a more frequent schedule depending upon the amount of abuse it has encountered.

A neglected system WILL get blocked, it WILL overflow, it WILL have an obnoxious odor and it WILL contaminate and pollute. Any CCHD approved pumping company can service your ISDS. Check in the yellow pages for their names and number.

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