What is a Conventional Septic System

How Does It Work?

In a conventional basic system, household wastewater travels to the septic tank. The tank is made up of concrete or metal, and its main job is to hold wastewater. The tank holds this wastewater until it divides into three different layers. In the bottom layer, there is the sludge, which is made up of solid parts like soil and food particles, and the bacteria at the bottom of your tank that feed off from this layer. The other layer is called the scum, and it consists of oil, fats, and grease. Finally, the third layer is called the effluent, and it is the water that has been clarified after the scum and sludge have settled to the top and bottom of the water body, respectively. After these three layers occur, the liquid waste goes to the distribution box, and wastewater sinks into the soil as it reaches the gravity drain field. Water either mixes into the groundwater or the soil absorbs it, and as for the solid parts, they are decomposed over time.

Advantages

There are different advantages of conventional septic tanks. The first one is being affordable. Since the entire mechanism mainly relies on gravity and doesn't use extraordinary technology, it can be easily produced and installed. Therefore, it is economical. For similar reasons, their maintenance is also relatively easy. Most of the problems homeowners experience with this system are basic ones like leaks, not detailed reasons that cause the technology to fail.