Septic systems are designed to treat human waste by a natural progression through plumbing, a buried septic tank and underground drainfields. Bacteria in the septic tank and the drainfields break down the harmful pathogens in solid and liquid waste. Grease and oils can have negative effects on the smooth running of your septic system. Using bath oils can lead to groundwater contamination and increased costs for the homeowner.
Wastewater Flow
A septic system works by draining waste water from sinks and toilets in the home into an underground tank. Inside this tank the liquid and solid wastes separate into three layers. Solids—human waste, food debris and toilet paper—sink to the bottom, forming sludge. Grease and oils—cooking grease, soaps and bath oils—float to the top. Liquid waste—urine and water used in clothes and dish washing, housecleaning and bathing—is suspended in the middle. Bath oils do not decompose in a septic system and can clog the outflow pipes and drainfields, reducing or stopping the outward flow of wastewater completely.
Contamination
A septic system works by treating household waste in two stages. First, anaerobic bacteria in the septic tank break down the liquid and solid wastes in the underground tank. Then, the liquid waste flows out into the drainfields, where aerobic bacteria in the ground continue to break down the pathogens until they are no longer harmful.
When sludge and greases such as bath oil in the septic tank become too thick, the liquid waste is forced out into the drainfields prematurely. If liquid waste does not stay in the septic tank long enough for anaerobic bacteria to start the breakdown of pathogens, your groundwater can become contaminated.
Increased Costs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends pumping the solid waste out of your septic system on a regular schedule of two to five years. When solid waste takes up a third of the septic tank, a pump out is necessary. Bath oils build up in the septic tank and do not break down like solid waste. They take up extra space in the tank, adding to the solid waste volume. Removing bath oils requires the services of professional sanitation companies on a more frequent basis, increasing costs to the homeowner and wear and tear on the septic system.
Member Comments