We all know that not every property relies on a municipal wastewater system for treating its wastewater. According to the statistics more than 20 percent of American households rely on individual septic systems or use small community cluster systems. This means that more than one in five households in America depend on a septic tank system. 

Тhe septic system maintenance is an important part of the maintenance of any property that isn’t connected to a municipal wastewater system. Proper and regular septic tank maintenance offers several benefits to your property as well as your budget.

If you use a septic tank system on your property, then you should know that keeping the optimal function of the septic system is a key part of the proper overall maintenance of a property. And we can achieve proper maintenance when we learn how septic tank systems operate. 

What is a septic tank system?

A septic tank system is a type of onsite sewage facility (OSSF). It consists of an underground structure made of fiberglass, concrete or plastic, which is designed for the treatment of household wastewater coming from laundry appliances, kitchen and bathroom drain systems. 

The structure of a septic tank system includes a septic tank and a septic drain field (also called leach field/drain) that are connected with one another with underground pipelines. These pipes connect a property’s wastewater drainage line with the septic tank and then go to the leach field.

After wastewater from a property goes into the septic tank, the solid particles it contains are filtered inside this tank. 

A leach field is a subsurface wastewater facility, which is made of a series of perforated pipes The filtered liquid waste coming from the septic tank flows through the septic tank baffle and reaches the perforated pipes.

After that the liquid waste, which contains only organic materials, gradually flows from these pipes into the soil where it’s naturally filtered afterwards.

Septic systems are a common feature of small properties mainly located in rural areas where there is no installed  centralized sewage treatment system.

What steps optimal septic system maintenance includes?

The best way to ensure that your septic tank system functions the way it should, is to perform regular septic tank pumping. Because septic tank pumping consists of several individual processes that require special equipment, you need to contact a professional company specialized in this service.

The recommended frequency for septic tank pumping is once every two to five years depending on the type and the size of the property, the amount of sewage produced each year, as well as the size of the septic tank.

Benefits of regular septic system maintenance and check-ups:

Prolonged life of the septic tank

When a septic tank system is regularly and properly maintained the septic tank can last up to 40 years depending on the material it’s made from. The proper maintenance of the septic tank system is also beneficial to the leach field as it can prolong its life by helping it last up to 50 years.

Prevention of leaks and clogs

Another thing you can do to ensure the proper function of your septic tank system is to check the septic tank regularly for any leaks. 

One of the easiest ways to learn whether your septic tank is leaking is to check the area around the tank. See if the grass growing there seems more dense or lush than the grass in the other parts of the backyard.

Another good way to check for potential leaks is to do it during the pumping of the septic tank. For this reason, it’s good to find professional septic tank cleaning technicians that incorporate septic tank leak inspection into their service.

Because baffles control the flow of incoming and outgoing sewage water into the septic tank, they also need to be checked regularly for any missing or broken parts. Damaged baffles can lead to scum clogs inside the pipes.