When most of us hear the work bacteria we think of something negative, something unhealthy. But that is not always the case. In fact, there are healthy bacteria growing in the mouth of every person on the planet helping to keep billions of teeth clean! There are also helpful bacteria living in the septic tank of every home that has a septic system. Without those bacteria working hard septic systems would fail and there would be a very large sewage problem.
In a home, raw sewage is collected by the plumbing and it is delivered to a septic tank. When the organic solids such as human waste and food particles reach the tank there are millions of naturally occurring bacteria waiting to do their jobs. When the household wastewater reaches the tank it is held for about two days in order for solids to settle to the bottom of the tank while oils, grease, and lighter waste float up to the top forming the “sludge layer.” The bacteria in the septic tank go to work on the solid materials by breaking them down and converting about half of the material to liquids or gases. Then these lighter waste materials can rise to the top and flow into the drain field where further treatment occurs.
With regular septic tank pumping, the bacteria will continue to thrive and successfully do their jobs. It is a popular misconception that additives need to be added to the plumbing in a home in order to help the septic tank work properly. However, with proper maintenance and monitoring of what is allowed down the drains, the septic system should not need any human assistance to operate. Those millions of bacteria can do the job!
Posted on behalf of Metro Septic and Plumbing
