SEWERAGE
And finally, why it sometimes goes stinky
T
wo factors will result in
your septic system
malfunctioning and
backing up: Either it is too
small for the job it is expected
to do and is simply unable to
cope with the volume of
effluent it receives daily. Or
you are putting into it
substances that are harmful to
the microbes that make it
function.
Households often outgrow
their septic systems, by the
addition of members of the
family, staff and guests, or by
the addition of granny flats,
etc.
Moreover, ignorant builders
often simply miscalculate the
size tank required for a
household when building the
dwelling in the first place.
Assuming your tank is the
correct size and is not
overloaded, malfunction is
most likely the result of killer
substances being poured
down the drain.
Just as they clog drainpipes,
fats, oils and greases are also
killers in the septic system,
particularly if they get into
the drain-field.
In the tank they take an
inordinately long time to be
destroyed by the bacteria in
the septic tank and if the
system overflows and allows
the oil layer into the drain
field it coats the media (the
rock, old tyres or brick that
fills the soakaway) surfaces
and stops the bacteria in the
drain-field working.
A smell around the drain-field
indicates that the media is
becoming blocked.
Next, the fats and oils will
then coat the trench soil
surfaces, preventing the fluid
from soaking away into the
soil. As the liquid cannot
escape it rises to the surface
or backs up into the septic
tank.
Apart from the fact that there
are health reasons why one
should limit the amounts of
fat and grease one eats, one
should also limit the amount
that ge