In most municipalities the sewage from your home would be removed by a public sewage connection and carried to a processing plant where it is chemically treated and eventually disposed of. In rural locations there is no local sewage system and home or business owners must deal with sewage in another way. The main method for this disposal is a septic system. The septic tank is typically one or two large concrete containers buried underground. They are designed to collect heavy waste and allow the effluent (liquid waste) to run off in a series of field lines. This allows the effluent to be processed naturally and the water gets returned to the local water table.
Septic tanks work because the solids inside them are broken down by anaerobic action. Basically, bacteria inside the tank consume any protein left in the residue then the remaining waste settles on the bottom of the tank. This action is why septic tanks don’t fill up after a few weeks. In fact, Septic Contractors in Des Moines Iowa typically have to clean a tank about every two or three years depending on how heavily the septic system is used.
Installing a septic system takes quite a bit of work. First, you have to determine any legal requirements for your area. Most county and state regulations require a percolation test which determines the soil’s absorption rate. This test is used to determine exactly how to design the tank layout and how to apply the septic system’s leach field. The leach field is the field lines where the effluent is drained away into the surrounding soil. After the test, the process of installing the tanks and field lines underground begins.
If you are living in a rural environment or are planning to build a home in such an area then a consult with the local Septic Contractors in Des Moines Iowa will probably be in your future. A septic system is a very economical means for treating sewage on a small scale and it’s probably the only way that your rural home can get this service. The only real disadvantage is the occasional vacuum cleaning that the tank will require, usually about every two years. To learn more about septic installation and service you can check here.
