What Is A Septic System Anyway - Mason County Public Health Septic System User Manual

What is a Septic System Anyway?

No matter what type of tanks and other components you have, your system is
above all else, a wastewater treatment and disposal machine. It takes all the
smelly, icky sewage coming out of your home and collects it, treats it, then allows
the purified water to flow back into the environment.
How does it do this you might wonder? The short answer is bugs – bacteria and
other microorganisms. These tiny creatures are present almost everywhere, yet
invisible to the naked eye. They don't have to be placed in your system, they are
already present from the first flush both in your waste and in the soil of the
drainfield.
They thrive on the waste coming into your system – in the tanks, filters and
drainfield, they grow, multiply, and eat up all the bad stuff. What's left after they
get done with their feast? Purified water. This clean water flows into the soil
under your drainfield and then eventually groundwater tables feeding lakes,
rivers, streams, and Puget Sound.
To help keep your bugs happy, please follow these general requirements:
• Keep them from drowning – Keep flows low and all water diverted away
from your system areas, especially the drainfield.
• Don't overfeed them – minimize food scraps and excessive soaps, oils,
greases, etc. going in to the system.
• Don't poison them – keep strong chemicals, cleaners and additives out!
THANKS!
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