Septics101 (Full Course): A Guide to Septic System Maintenance

hi bear welcome to septics 101 in this video we're going to cover the basics of sewage and on-site septic systems in the past sewage was not treated in the outhouses or cesspools that were used did not effectively remove pathogens which are harmful disease-causing organisms bacteria viruses protozoa and worms can all be present in domestic wastewater and septic systems and can cause diseases such as hepatitis cholera diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illnesses in modern times rules and regulations have been established on how to properly dispose of sewage when not connected to a wastewater treatment facility or sewer a home's best long-term option is a septic system clearly it's important to make sure your septic system works properly but first you need to know how your system works in this video we'll look at sewage and its potential impacts on health and the environment and we'll explore the different types of septic systems and how they work we'll also talk about being a responsible septic system owner and how to care properly for a system as well as how to detect a system failure and get help this is all to maintain the health of your household for you and for your family and protect the water quality as well as save you money if you're completing this course for a certification program there will be an exam at the end of the presentation if you're looking to install a septic system looking to purchase a home with a septic system or simply wondering about your existing system this video is for you so what is sewage anyway sewage is all the wastewater that comes from your house your toilet your dishwasher and washing machine sink and shower drains and all the solids and race that comes with it up to fifty percent of domestic sewage is created by your clothes washer and toilet your dishwasher produces 3% while your bath shower and sink faucets produce the remaining percentage all this wastewater exits your house and enters your septic system by the way rainwater surface water and groundwater are not considered sewage when a septic system is designed the designer and local government will base the size and type of the septic system on the number of bedrooms in the home and the physical features of the property for design purposes it is assumed that a bedroom can accommodate two people if you have more people living in a house than the system was designed for the system can become overloaded and fail site characteristics such as existing structures sloped wells streams and other environmentally sensitive areas influence the system's design what I have here looks like a handful of plain old dirt but did you know there are typically 40 million bacterial cells in a single gram of soil healthy soil is living and breathing and jam-packed with microbes that break down pathogens it's the key ingredient in treating wastewater from your septic system once it reaches the soil pathogens from wastewater adhere to the soil particles and are broken down by microbes before it seeps into the groundwater the type and amount of soil on a property is one of the most important things to consider in determining the design of a septic system the soil test once known as a perc test helps determine the type and depth of the soil on the property the soil test usually involves digging out a test hole six feet deep and three feet wide with a backhoe this will include a ramp so that the designer and sanitarian can safely enter the hole in the test hole they look at soil layers and soil types to determine absorption rates and will measure the vertical separation or depth to a restrictive layer this test hole for example shows some of the best soil at a very sufficient depth sometimes the test hole will reveal a restrictive layer in this case the property has a high water table the information gathered in the soil test will help the designer in designing a system that will meet the homeowners needs and satisfy regulatory requirements in determining the type of system the concept of vertical separation is very important vertical separation refers to the depth of soil on the property between the bottom of a drain field and the top of a restrictive layer of groundwater you can think of this area of soil as the filter for pathogen removal this distance will help determine the system type a restrictive layer could be bedrock groundwater or an impermeable layer it is the depth where water will no longer flow down through the soil and receive treatment let's look at the types of systems in use today the most basic type of septic system permitted today for long-term use is the conventional gravity system the gravity system consists of three parts the septic tank the drain field and the soil beneath the drain field in Washington state the conventional gravity system requires a minimum of 3 feet of native undisturbed soil beneath the drain field as wastewater flows from the house into the septic tank through the inlet baffle heavy solids settled to the sludge layer on the bottom of the tank lighter materials float to the top forming the scum layer the clear liquid in the middle is known as effluent the effluent flows through the outlet baffle into the next component of the system if your system does not already have one consider installing an outlet baffle filter these filters fit into the outlet baffle of your septic tank and add an extra barrier that prevents solids from moving into the drain field or other components if you have a concrete baffle you may want to hire someone to retrofit a plastic baffle in its place concrete baffles tend to degrade in septic tanks due to corrosive gases and remember to clean your filter every 6 to 12 months typically gravity systems will utilize a distribution box or D box to equally distribute the effluent into each lateral pipe in the drain field equal distribution of the wastewater into each lateral is critical to the long-term operation of the drain field once the effluent reaches the laterals it flows out of small holes and into the surrounding soil where aerobic or oxygen loving bacteria and other microbes treat the wastewater by removing pathogens this treatment is critical in protecting groundwater and surface water resources here we can see a cross-section of the drain field the perforated drain pipe sits on a level grade with gravel the gravel provides a space for the effluent to move above the gravel is a fabric layer to keep the upper level of fine soil from moving down into the gravel here's an example of gravel s chambers used in place of rock and filter fabric pressurized systems may be used where sufficient soil is present but the wastewater needs to be pumped to a certain area of the property pressure systems are also used when the soil type requires a specific dosing or when vertical separation is two to three feet in Washington state pressurized systems need at least two feet of vertical separation 12 inches less than conventional because of how a pressurized system distributes the waste water pressurized systems start with a septic tank just like a gravity system after the septic tank the wastewater flows into a pump tank and it's pumped to the drain field where it spread equally throughout the drain field lines the pump take accepts wastewater from the septic tank through an inlet baffle the pump itself is located on the floor of the tank there are two floats used to control the pump the on and off float and the redundant off float if the waste water level were to drop below the pump the pump could overheat and burn up the redundant off float prevents the pump from turning on if there's not adequate waste water to cover the pump the on off float turns the pump on as the waste water level rises the effluent is dosed every few hours and is spread out across the whole bottom of the trench some pumps operate on demand while others use a timer to start a pump cycle as the pump moves wastewater into the drain field the level drops dropping the float and turning off the pump providing the soil with time to dry out between doses the third and highest float is the alarm float if the pump fails or too much waste water enters the pump tank the waste water level rises and lifts the alarm float this sounds an alarm on the control panel near the house push to silence it and then call a licensed professional the alarm is there to let you know there's a problem so don't ignore it not all pump tanks utilize a float system some newer systems now use a transducer rather than on off floats most pump tanks have some built-in capacity to handle wastewater during power outages the pump tank has many electrical components that should be serviced by a professional working with electricity around wastewater can be very dangerous now let's talk about alternative systems first the mound system mounds can be used where there is only one or two feet of suitable native soil because additional vertical separation is built up in a mound of specially engineered sand the waste water is applied at the top of the mount and percolates down through the sand to the native soil below another type of alternative system is the sand filter system a sand filter is basically a box of engineered sand and gravel which treats the wastewater a sand filter requires only one and a half to two and a half feet of suitable native soil the wastewater is applied at the top of the sand filter and flows down through the sand and gravel receiving treatment then the pre treated wastewater flows either by pressure or gravity to a drain field for final treatment and dispersal there are several proprietary systems for properties that do not have sufficient native soil depth one type is anaerobic treatment unit or a tu aerobic systems need a minimum of 12 to 18 inches of soil a blower aerator injects air into a tank enhancing the aerobic microbial action this type of system will often require some form of disinfection such as chlorine or UV treatment before the waste water enters the drain field a to use are proprietary devices and are required by the manufacturer to be inspected at least once and sometimes twice a year by a manufacturer certified representative another type of proprietary system is the bio filter bio filters are designed and installed on properties where there is as little as one foot of suitable soil available the manufacturer requires bio filter approved professionals to design install and perform maintenance on these systems contact your local health department for more details so in general as the vertical separation decreases the complexity of the system increases so do the cost and maintenance requirements alternative systems cost thousands of dollars more than your basic system protect the system you have because replacement septic systems can be very expensive throughout the years many different containers have been used as septic tanks many are single compartment many are no longer safe or effective metal tags for instance suffer from corrosion and the lids have been known to collapse if you have an older system installed prior to the 1970s be careful of what might be in the ground septic systems need regular maintenance just like your car your home first of all know where all the components of your system are located on your property an as-built or record drying is a technical diagram of your septic system check with your local health department to obtain a copy of your as-built the record drawing can tell you what type of system you have where the components are located on your property and provide other useful information record drawings are not always accurate so make sure you verify it's correct if you need to have your system located make sure you also know the location of all utilities depending on the type of system you'll want to know the location of your septic tank pump tank sand filter distribution box and drain field let's talk about what you can do to protect and care for your system on a daily basis garbage disposals grind up unprocessed food into fine particles which can clog components of your system like pumps or even drain field pipes and soil use it sparingly an alternative is to compost make sure you have an outlet baffle screen installed to help protect the drain field doing your laundry has a big impact on your septic system as well space out your laundry loads to allow your septic tank to settle properly if water flows too rapidly through the septic tank solid material will not separate and could move on to more sensitive parts of the system limit the use of bleach bleach kills the helpful microbes which treat the wastewater liquid fabric softener can seriously alter the chemistry within the septic tank hindering proper treatment installing high-efficiency washers and toilets can increase your septic systems life and save you money do not throw garbage into your toilets or feminine products and wipes of any kind even those that are flushable kitty litter and pet waste of any kind should never go into your septic system some cleaning products claim to be safe for septic systems this may or may not be accurate look for cleaning products which use everyday ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda if you do use strong cleaning products just use less never put paint thinners or strong chemicals of any kind down your drains many areas have disposal services for dangerous or toxic material to dispose of unused medicine back it up and throw it in the garbage check with your local health department or pharmacy to find out whether a drug take-back program is available in your area do not drain hot tubs and water softeners into your septic system there's no need to waste your money on septic additives just use your septic system properly let's talk about how to protect your drain field it's critical to protect your drain field in reserved area the reserve area is a part of the property set aside in the event that the current drain field fails protect your drain field from motor vehicle traffic parked vehicles heavy loads and livestock don't dig use heavy fertilizer or weed killer on your drain field also be sure not to build anything over your drain field protect your drain field by diverting surface or roof water runoff away from it look for shallow root plants contact your local nursery or Health Department for more information about what's safe to plant over septic systems this tree was planted in a below grade sand filter the tree roots completely filled all the pipes in the sand filter and it had to be replaced your septic system requires routine maintenance this includes inspection of all system components pumping tanks and cleaning filters when needed and making sure repairs are performed risers increase accessibility to the system for you or a professional they can also keep lower if a professional needs to service the system if you do not have risers you should have them installed state regulations require that a complete evaluation be performed once every three years for gravity systems and once a year for all other systems in addition many counties such as the 12 Puget Sound counties may have designated areas with increased requirements to protect shellfish also when a property is sold or transferred an inspection may be required to ensure the system is operating properly you'll want to hire a licensed professional to perform these inspections in some counties homeowners can become certified to inspect their own system when you hire someone to pump your tank make sure to hire only a licensed pumper they should pump all the tanks contents and inspect tanks to make sure there are no leaks and that everything's working well but remember pumping your tank is not the same as having a certified system inspection how often should you pump your systems tanks it depends on your tanks size number of people in your home and your water use generally speaking you should pump it every three to seven years there are many types of potential repairs will be needed to keep your system operating they can include replacing broken baffles repairing broken transport lines balancing your D box replacing pumps and much more if repairs are not performed in a timely manner the system could fail symptoms of a failing system can include sewage surfacing over the tanks or drain field slow drains or sewage backing up into the home if you see any of these problems contact a professional and your local health department immediately sometimes systems can be saved from having to be replaced one way health department's detect a failing system is by using liquid tracing dye the dye is poured into a toilet and flushed into the system if the system is failing the dye may surface onto the lawn or nearby waterways this photo shows the dye from a failing septic system near a marine water body by correcting small problems when needed you prevent larger and more costly problems if you do have a problem or failure with your system there is financial aid available United States Department of Agriculture's one source of funding available for septic system repairs contact your local health department for other resources available to you I hope the information in this course has been helpful thank you for your time and remember as you responsibly operate and maintain your septic system you're protecting the public health the environment and your pocketbook hope to see you in septics 201 we would like to thank the following for their time effort and technical input for this course content this presentation was made possible by a grant from the Washington State Department of Health you

Channel: WWMSOSS

Views: 1,159,466

Rating: 4.7889771 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: udBaGyzJyU8

Length: 19min 3sec (1143 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 17 2013