Septic tank maintenance

January, 2013:

Will hydrogen peroxide clean cesspools?

Jan 28th, 2013
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This article will briefly touch base on the use of hydrogen peroxide and will hydrogen peroxide clean cesspools? The mystery of cesspools has always captured your imagination. Since you were a child, your grandparents and parents have oriented you about the purpose of this personalized wastewater treatment facility. Since your home is far away from the city or town’s sewage treatment system, it was more practical for your home and other homes in the area to have their own cesspools to take care of the wastewater produced. The cesspool has active bacterial populations that break down the solid waste materials that flow in together with the wastewater.

Since the cesspool is a receptacle of the wastes from your home, it should be expected that regular cleaning be done to it. This valuable component of your house is much like your living room or bedroom. It needs to have its walls cleaned and even sanitized to a point so that it would not house pathogenic bacteria that deliver diseases once you get in contact with them. In cleaning the cesspool, you should avail of products that are safe and economical. In the market these days, you could purchase one such chemical compound that is effective, versatile, and safe to use as well—hydrogen peroxide. But will hydrogen peroxide clean cesspools?

Hydrogen peroxide is also known as agua oxinada. Because it is commonly used in wound cleaning, it is known to be an essential item in first aid kits. The chemical compound is also effective as an antiseptic and as a disinfectant as well. Cesspools could really benefit from hydrogen peroxide. In normal amounts, hydrogen peroxide is safe to use in cleaning cesspools without affecting the resident bacteria that do the major work of breaking down the solid wastes. But aside from cleaning the cesspool, hydrogen peroxide could also be used in various cleaning tasks as well: 

  1. You could use hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting toothbrushes. Just use  three percent hydrogen peroxide and soak your toothbrushes in it to get rid of the bacteria that accumulate in them. This is also used to make sure that your toothbrushes do not transfer bacteria to other toothbrushes in the rack.
  2. Dentures could be soaked overnight or for thirty minutes in three percent hydrogen peroxide then rinsed before usage.
  3. Three percent hydrogen peroxide could be mixed with the same amount of water to clean your bathroom glass doors, bathroom mirrors, sinks, floors, and shower area.
  4. Hydrogen peroxide is also effective in removing wine and blood stains through spot application.
  5. With three percent hydrogen peroxide, you could also clean and disinfect cutting boards, trash cans, dishwasher, refrigerator, kitchen floor, kitchen counter, kitchen sink, and meats before you cook them.
  6. If you mix a pint of this chemical compound with 1 gallon of water, you could effectively clean and disinfect blinds, windows, walls, and humidifiers.
  7. Spot application could be done on carpet stains.
  8. Hydrogen peroxide could also be used in bleaching or lightening your hair, cleansing your face, and rinsing your mouth.

You could question the real safety that hydrogen peroxide has for the bacteria that does all the work in the cesspool. You don’t have to worry about that. It is only used to kill off the pathogens or the disease-causing microorganisms that really pose as health threats. You certainly cannot avoid the accumulation of these kinds of bacteria in your cesspool. If these are not controlled, your household and the surrounding environment could really perish.

What is hydrogen peroxide and will hydrogen peroxide clean cesspools?  Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound that efficiently eliminates septic odors. It could also be used in preventing disease-causing bacteria from proliferating heavily as it gets rid of the stains in the cesspool. This is a very low-priced cleaning compound so you could buy loads of it and safely store them in your home.

When you use hydrogen peroxide, you can be sure that the environment and the organisms in it are safe. Just always remember to wear precautionary clothing, follow proper instructions, and use hydrogen peroxide in normal amounts to make sure that you could achieve its optimal benefits.

How calcium can clog an aerobic system

Jan 28th, 2013
by Service.
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This article will cover how calcium can clog an aerobic system. A house that is always occupied should always be maintained. It is understood that that a budget and a certain amount of effort should be given to make the home’s components are always in tiptop condition. To care for your walls and roof, you have to keep them coated with good paint and clean them regularly. You could also hire professionals to do a more efficient job for you. The same goes for your septic system. Normally, septic systems are underground systems that are run by anaerobic bacteria. These microorganisms are primitive and tenacious. They break down organic solid waste materials that are in the wastewater produced by your household on a daily basis. An anaerobic system like this can be improved by transforming it into an aerobic system. This is a more efficient way to handle wastewater. The oxygen provided by the aeration system increases the number of aerobic bacteria in the drain field. More aerobic bacteria means the wastewater will be purer and the biomat will be more regulated. Unregulated biomat results to clogging.

Because of several factors, an aerobic system could still be clogged. Here are some of them:

  • Use of harsh chemicals

When you use harsh chemicals in cleaning, the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are all killed off. Without these bacteria, the wastewater treatment process will never push through. When aerobic bacteria die off, the biomat proliferate uncontrollably. This clogs the system. You should opt for more organic and environment friendly products to make sure that you get the job done while keeping your system safe.

  • Improper waste disposal.

Non-biodegradable materials are usually dumped into drains and toilets. These substances cannot be degraded by bacteria anymore. They just stay in the system to clog the process. Place them in proper waste bins or recycle them. Even if you use your garbage disposal units before you dump them in the septic system, they are still non-biodegradable. They stay the same.

  • Calcium sulfoaluminate formation or ettringite formation

This is caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide by the anaerobic digestion of the thiocillus bacteria. The hydrogen sulfide gas accumulates in the headspace above the water line. Then the gas combines with oxygen. This makes way for sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid then forms ettringite. The ettringite corrodes the cement reinforcement of the septic system. When this happens, the metal components corrode. They are then subjected to sediments, which clog the flow of wastewater.

You should know how calcium can clog an aerobic system. Even with oxygen being produced, ettringite could still form. This could happen if the cement used to make your septic system is highly sensitive to the sulfuric acid that is formed by the anaerobic digestion. Yes, it is true that aerobic systems mostly prevent the interaction of oxygen and hydrogen sulfide to produce sulfuric acid but generally, a small amount of sulfuric acid is still produced. This still corrodes the septic system’s cement reinforcement especially if the cement is not tolerant to the acid at all.

Another reason why an aerobic system could be clogged by ettringite is if the aeration system is not regularly checked and maintained. You should set a schedule with your septic expert so that the septic system can always stay in optimal condition. With regular inspection, the aerobic septic system will not experience clogging or damage that could lead to huge repair and replacement expenses. If the aerobic septic is always maintained, there will be no problems in calcium clogging.

If you are a lucky homeowner who gets to monitor the installation of the septic system, make sure that the cement reinforcement used for your system is highly tolerant of sulfuric acid at any level. It should be able to endure the corrosive acid as it does its job. It may cost a bit more but you can be sure of the results on a long-term basis.

Correctional facility grease trap enzymes

Jan 23rd, 2013
by Service.
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This is another article that will cover correctional facility grease trap enzymes. Decades ago, there were deficiencies in prisons. Because of the lack of space, separation among prisoners was not implemented. Hardened criminals were confined with the children and women. It was expected for the correctional facilities back then to be very unsanitary and crowded. As years progressed, the prison and jail conditions have improved. There is already a classification system for inmates and a more organized system of management. But it seems that the internal improvements are not enough for today’s correctional facilities.

With the increasing number of convictions, it may seem that crimes rates continue to overwhelm the United States. It’s a very saddening and scary thought to live in a country where anyone is likely to commit a crime. More inmates mean a higher need for jail space. In the US, there are about 1.7 M people in jails and prisons.  The government’s correctional facilities are not enough to house the inmates anymore. If there is needed construction of new facilities, it would take about 5 to 6 years before it’s completed under government supervision and budget. This is where private companies take the task of building more correctional facilities under their umbrella.

The faster construction of correctional facilities is due to the private companies that have more efficient resources. They could get people to build for them, materials to use, and a contract time to finish the project. The government takes a lot of time to make a facility for inmates because of the delays that political entities usually initiate. There may be politicians that aim to stop the construction because of their agendas. With the private companies taking the floor, the correctional facilities under their eye are much better than their public counterparts.

Included in the improvement scheme of correctional facilities is the compliance to the grease trap ordinance established by the government. Correctional facilities have inmates and employees that need to be fed and their cafeterias work overtime just to make sure that they are, every single day. The large amounts of meals prepared everyday produce a lot of FOG (fats, oils, grease). The FOG that comes from correctional facilities contributes a lot to the ongoing FOG crisis being dealt with by the United States. The grease ordinance requires every correctional facility—public or private—to have grease traps or grease interceptors professionally installed within their premises. The traps should have permits. The owners or managers should make sure that they are regularly maintained and inspected.

Correctional facility grease traps should be cared for on a regular basis so that the FOG level could be monitored and kept from going over the set limit. Preventing the FOG overflow to take place in correctional facility grease traps needs more effort in implementing improved grease disposal practices. There should be meshes or strainers fitted into the drains of the kitchen sinks to filter off the grease and food bits before they enter the trap. The greasy leftovers should be scraped off manually into leak-proof bins. These containers should then be sealed before they are disposed of properly.

The use of correctional facility grease trap enzymes and chemicals should not be encouraged. These products merely emulsify the FOG, making it easier to mix with the untreated effluent. Just like a typical FOG overflow, the FOG then cools off once it’s in the sewer pipes. It sticks to the inner pipe walls and accumulate there until it completely blocks the normal flow of the wastewater towards the treatment plant. The effluent backs up into the correctional facility, contaminating the area and the surrounding living systems. Even the clean water supply is gravely affected.

Bacteria based additives are the ones that should be used on correctional facility grease traps. Bacteria are living organisms that consume and digest the FOG and solid wastes in the grease trap. They leave the grease trap odorless and the environment pollution-free. There is no need to go back to the medieval times in managing correctional facilities. With the help of bacteria, sanitation will be no problem at all.

What causes septic tank failure?

Jan 20th, 2013
by Service.
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In this article we will cover what causes septic tank failure? A septic system may be the least regarded component in entire property. There are still households who think that just leaving the septic system alone with a block of yeast is enough for it to last forever. This is a misconception because the septic is technically, a living organism that depends on the homeowner as the primary caregiver. Care and maintenance should be regularly given to the entire septic system so that the overall flow of the wastewater treatment will not be interrupted.

The septic system is comprised of the septic tank and the drain field. The septic tank is where the first stage of wastewater treatment occurs. The raw wastewater is collected and then separated into three distinct layers—the scum, the effluent, and the sludge. The scum is made up of lightweight solid wastes that float on top. The effluent is the middle part that’s clear liquid. The sludge is made up of the heavy solid waste that the anaerobic bacteria digest. If this process of pre-treatment happens successfully, then there will be no problems at all.

What causes septic tank failure?

Basically, the septic tank could fail because of neglect, which can be manifested in a lot of ways. The following are the most common reasons why a septic tank fails:

  1. The trees and other higher species of plants that are planted on and near the septic tank have root systems that penetrate deep into the septic system. When they reach the septic tank, the roots tap into a very rich supply of effluent that they need to survive. The roots thrive and occupy the space in the septic tank that’s needed to perform the wastewater treatment. The roots should be removed manually and the plants should be relocated to a place that’s far away from the septic tank area. If the situation is not corrected, then the septic tank will fail.
  2. It’s mandatory to pump out the septic tank so that the sludge level is kept very low. There is a high risk that the sludge will take over the septic tank and prevent the incoming raw wastewater from entering it and starting treatment. There will be wastewater backup, overflow, flooding and failure if the septic tank is left to fill up with sludge. Pump out schedules should be discussed with your septic expert because it depends on how many are residing in your home. For large households or six or more people, the septic tank should be pumped out every year. If you have up to five people in your home, then you should have the septic tank pumped out every two years. When there are only two people at most in your home, then every three years would be an ideal schedule for a pump out.
  3. Soil compaction is caused by heavy vehicles and structures that are placed over the septic tank. The soil gets too compressed that the physical components of the septic tank are crushed. The resulting damage will cause effluent to leak, backup, overflow, and flood. The vehicles and structures should be removed immediately. The septic expert should immediately check for the damages and make the necessary repairs and replacements. If this is not attended to, the septic tank will inevitably fail.
  4. Dumping harsh chemicals into the septic tank is a big negative. These compounds kill off the bacteria in the septic tank. Without bacteria, there is no septic system. The raw wastewater and solid waste will just stay in the tank until it gets full. There will be effluent leaking, flooding, and backup. This will be aggravated if you continue to dump non-biodegradable materials, grease, and paint into the system because they cannot be decomposed by bacteria. They will just fill up the tank as well.Feel free to consult your septic expert for more methods on how you should take care of your septic tank. There is nothing like being able to care for your septic and your home at the same time.

How plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a seepage pit.

Jan 16th, 2013
by Service.
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This article will cover how plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a seepage pit. As a homeowner, you are aware of certain components that help you maintain your entire property’s health and sanitation. You may have a cesspit or a septic tank but the main idea here is that they treat the wastewater that your household produces on a daily basis. Your wastewater is composed of greywater and blackwater. Greywater is the wastewater that comes from your dishwasher, drains, showers, and washing machines. If you do not have a greywater system or a drywell system, your greywater goes straight into your septic system. This increases your septic’s water load and adds in more solid waste materials—both biodegradable and non-biodegradable ones. Biodegradable waste materials are broken down by the anaerobic bacteria in your septic tank. The non-biodegradable waste materials cannot be degraded anymore so they just stay in the system and clog the process. Plastic is a synthetic material that can have organic substances. Though experts are trying their best to make plastics more biodegradable, they are still not completely decomposed. What’s more, when biodegradable plastics are decomposed, methane is produced. As you know, methane is toxic at high levels and is very flammable. You should know how plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a seepage pit. The knowledge can help you prevent seepage pit and septic system failure.

Many people think of seepage pits as cesspools. Others think of cesspools as seepage pits. These two systems are very different from one another. A seepage pit system is much like a cesspool when you refer to its construction. It is actually a large pit made of masonry block or lined with hard concrete rings. It is also surrounded by gravel. Once the wastewater has already gone through the septic tank or cesspool tank, the first stage of treatment is already finished. The effluent is temporarily stored in the seepage pit and slowly seeps out into the surrounding soil absorption area. The seepage pit’s bottom is home to the biomat that is regulated by the aerobic bacteria. Since aerobic bacteria cannot survive in the pit, the biomat tends to accumulate and clog the system. The seepage pit is essentially a helper to your septic system or cesspool. Even if it is just a helper, it should also be well taken care of especially if your laundry water contains plastics and nylons.

If you don’t have a greywater or drywell system, the seepage pit also receives laundry water. Various fabrics are washed in your washing machine on a daily basis. This enables the plastic fibers to enter both the septic and the seepage pit systems. The seepage pit is a helper to your septic system because it helps absorb and purify the pretreated effluent before it is released into the surrounding soil absorption system. It only receives liquids and not solid particles because the septic tank has already dealt with that.  However, when plastics and nylons make it o your septic tank, these cannot be broken down by the anaerobic bacteria anymore. So, they enter the seepage pit as well. The seepage pit then experiences heavy clogging and eventual failure.

An efficient seepage pit effectively collects pre-treated effluent, which is free of solid waste materials. If  your laundry water has plastics and nylons, your seepage pit will surely get clogged and this could cost you your entire septic system. Additional filters should be installed in the inflow and outflow pipes of your septic tank so that plastic and nylon fibers won’t enter the seepage pit anymore. Remember that the seepage pit is not supposed to treat our wastewater anymore. It is only a purifying, quality control station where the pretreated effluent passes.

The seepage pit has a tendency to release harmful contaminants into the surrounding soil so you should make sure that it always functions efficiently. Ask your septic expert about it so that you will be able to maintain it properly.

 

Rainwater can cause overflowing in drain fields

Jan 15th, 2013
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This article was written as a result questions concerning how rainwater can cause overflowing in drain fields. Graduation was one of the happiest moments of your life. Every important person in your life was there. During your graduation dinner, your sister gave you an envelope that was sent by a large construction firm where you sent your application months ago. It was one of the biggest graduation surprises that you have ever received that day because they have accepted you as one of their newest architects. The letter had a project that was already assigned to you. It was the chance that you have been waiting for to prove that you were very good at what you did. Being a cum laude never really meant anything until you applied the things that you learned about. The big question was how rainwater can cause overflowing in drain fields.

Then your father stood up and gave you a small box. He asked you to open it and when you did, two keys were inside. Your mother approached you and held your father’s hand. She told you that the key on the left was the key to your new Chevy and the key on the right was the key to your new condominium. It was situated in a convenient area where you could just drive a few hours to the site and to the office as well. You embraced you r family for giving you such gifts. You promised them that you would do your best in everything that would be given to you. At that moment, having no boyfriend really didn’t bother you at all. You just wanted to make the most out of every opportunity given to you so that you won’t let your family down. Your sister was studying to be an engineer so someday, you knew that there would be a possibility of the two of you working together.

After two weeks, you were already settled in your condo. Everything was going well at the work site when suddenly, it rained hard. You and your team were stranded for a few hours in the site. No one could go anywhere because all that could be seen was rain. You all decided to just stay in for a while until it was okay to drive home. You grabbed at the chance to evaluate the home while the rain poured heavily. You took your time and saw that the drains, toilets, and sinks were backing up. The septic expert had to be contacted as soon as possible. The rain finally stopped and the septic expert arrived. He said that the drain field was overflowing already. This should definitely be attended to or the entire property would be in jeopardy. You took note of what should be done for the drain field overflow to be prevented:

  1. The pump out and treatment schedules should be adhered to so that the sludge could be regularly removed.
  2. Antibacterial solutions, grease, and non-biodegradable materials should not be dumped into the toilets, drains, and sinks.
  3. The gutter should be directed away from the drain field area to prevent excessive water from entering the septic system.
  4. Any structure or vehicle on the drain field area should be removed because the weight could damage the drain field components and cause an overflow.
  5. A dry well should be installed by the septic system to help take care of the water load of the septic system.

 When the septic expert left, your team immediately got to work. The dry well was to be installed after a few days. Meanwhile, the necessary structures were changed to prevent the drain field would not overflow anymore. The heavy rainfall was a great eye-opener for you. It helped you see what was in need of improvement in your project. That house was to be a premier home for a very important client. It was definitely a big break for you because when everything was done and the house was unveiled, the client loved every inch. It was built according to what she wanted. As a result, you earned a bonus and more than a handful of projects from your company. The big question was answered as to how rainwater can cause overflowing in drain fields.

What causes sand mounds to fail?

Jan 14th, 2013
by Service.
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In this article we will cover what causes sand mounds to fail? It may still be a puzzle to many homeowners how their sand mounds malfunction and then fail. Perhaps they forget that being a homeowner with a sand mound in their yard requires an extra special set of responsibilities. The sand mound is an unconventional form of septic system that is designed and made for properties that have soil that either absorbs too fast or too slow. It is above the surface of the ground so it is more prone to severe exposure to the elements such as rain and snow.

The sand mound or the raised mound is the result of highly technological innovations in the septic system industry. What causes sand mounds to fail? The following are just some of the reasons why they do:

  1. Root invasionThe complex root systems of higher plants such as shrubs and trees deeply go through the sand mound system, in search of nutrient-rich effluent. The moment they see a chance to gain access t that, they get into gaps and perforations that clog and damage the entire system. If they go undetected due to lack of inspection and maintenance, they will cause the sand mound to fail. .
  2. The sand mound area with vehicles and structuresHeavy structures and vehicles over your sand mound system area is not a very good setup for it. These components are heavy. Their weight compresses the soil, thus bringing about soil compaction that crushes the sand mound components. If the components of the sand mound are crushed, then leaks, clogging, and inevitable failure will come out of it. Immediately get rid of these from your sand mound area and make sure to call your septic expert for the necessary repairs that your sand mound needs.
  3. Incorrect usage of drains, toilets, and sinksIf you and your household don’t use your facilities the right way, you will end up with a very terrible sand mound system experience. Dumping non-biodegradable materials, paint, and grease in drains, toilets, and sinks will only cause severe clogging in the sand mound, resulting to clogging, backing up of effluent, overflow of effluent, and eventual failure of the system. Dumping strong chemicals will corrode the system’s components and will kill the resident bacteria. If bacteria are gone, then the entire sand mound system will stop. The sand mound system will fail and if not corrected at the soonest possible time, this will be reason enough for you to buy a new sand mound system.
  4. Not following the pump out scheduleWhatever reasons you may have for skipping your sand mound’s pump out schedule, it will never be justified once the sand mound starts to malfunction. Pumping out your sand mound is the most basic care that you could give your system. It clears the sand mound tank of gunk. This will ensure that the soil absorption area will remain clog-free and the process of wastewater treatment will go on smoothly. Discuss the pump out schedule with your septic expert because it depends on how many people live in your home. You just have to set a small amount every month for the scheduled pump out so that it won’t be very hard on your budget.

    Bacteria could be used to help prevent sand mound system failure. These are very reliable microorganisms that voraciously eat the solid waste in the sand mound’s tank. They even leave the tank odorless. They do not harm the surrounding environment at all because they do not have chemicals that pollute the bodies of water and the clean water supply in the area. It’s better to stick to the natural solution to and prevention of sand mound system failure. Chemicals and enzymes will only aggravate the situation and will even harm the physical components of the sand mound. Work with your septic expert so that you may be guided in caring for your sand mound system.

Rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds

Jan 14th, 2013
by Service.
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This is a short article explaining how rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds. Your new car was delivered a few months ago. The hype of the promotion, the new house, and the relocation was just too overwhelming for you and you didn’t even have a family yet. You were very thankful for the blessings that came for the past year. It was very hard for you to have left your hometown two years ago but you knew you had to do it for your personal and career growth. And there you were. You were slowly putting things together. In a big way, you were very courageous to have taken the risk of leaving your comfort zone. It only showed how strong of character you were and how determined you were in building a life for yourself.

The house that you bought was pretty contemporary. It was built five years before you moved in. Technically, you didn’t really have an idea about the history if its construction. You haven’t finished your garage and the driveway yet so you parked your car in the yard. You told yourself that you could just have the yard fixed up when everything was done and when you could move the car already. The weather was unpredictable in the area where you moved. Sometimes it drizzled, sometimes it was sunny, and sometimes it was just cloudy. You didn’t mind the abrupt changes in weather as long as your house was sturdy and safe.

The following morning, your boss called you up and told you that the office would not be open for two days because of the heavy rains. It was always that way every time there was a storm that came. A hurricane threat was always considered because of the weather’s unpredictability. When you looked out the window, the rain was indeed very strong. It was a good move when you thought of covering up your new car in the yard. There was no telling when something hard or pointed could get blown it and scratch the paint. But still, you worried at the strength of the rainfall. When you went to use the bathroom, the toilet, sinks, and drains backed up with sewage. The odor was very foul. You wanted to call the septic expert but it was still raining hard. You had no choice but to wait until the storm stopped. In the afternoon, the rain paused. You immediately called up the septic expert. You told him that it was an emergency so in just minutes, he arrived. He said that there had to be immediate modifications before the rain started again to prevent sand mound overflow again: 

  1. The gutter’s direction should be moved away from the sand mound area to prevent additional water from getting into the sand mound. Rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds.
  2. The car that you parked should be moved because this could have caused damage to the sand mound already.
  3. You should keep the pump out and treatment schedules that your septic expert recommended.
  4. Proper usage of toilets, drains, and sinks should be done by not pouring grease, non-biodegradable materials, and antibacterial solutions into them.
  5. You should also install a dry well beside your sand mound to make sure that the water load will not increase that much because of the dishwashers and washing machines.

Amazingly, in just hours, the septic expert was able to help you get things in the right track before the rains came again. When the septic expert left, heavy rainfall poured again. You watched the yard, toilets, drains, and sinks if they would be flooding or backing up again. As expected, the backing up didn’t happen. The dry well was yet to be constructed after the storm. With the minimal modifications that you made earlier, everything changed. You were comfortable in using your bathroom again. There is nothing better than being dry and warm in your own home during heavy rains or cold days. You then wished that work would be off for an entire week. Always remember that rainwater can cause overflowing in sand mounds.

How to locate your drain field

Jan 3rd, 2013
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In this article we will focus on the question of how to locate your drain field. It was a very challenging four years of your life. When you moved out of the house where you grew up in, you eliminated your comfort zone and started to face the world. It was the stage of your life when you started your complete independence even if your parents paid for your tuition and for your apartment. When you told your parents that you would be okay if you paid for your own apartment, they disagreed. They wanted to make sure that you’re okay up to the day you graduated or decided to move because of a job offer. Until that very day, your parents wanted to take care of you mainly because you were their only son.

Graduation—The start of life in the real world. As a graduate, you were supposed to face life with everything you had already. During the first few months of your training, your boss was very pleased with your performance. Because of this, you were able to have your own apartment-style home near your work area. You told your parents that this would be the perfect chance for you to really start your own life independently. Of course, your parents still said that they would always be there for you if ever you needed them.

The owner of the house talked to you about everything that you had to do to maintain it. He said that like a homeowner, you should be responsible for everything about the house. The rest was reasonable and included the electric, water, cable, and Internet use. You had your mobile phone so you didn’t need a phone line anymore. The only thing that you had to spend for that was not included in the rent was the septic system maintenance. In doing so, you had to know how to locate your drain field and septic system.

In locating the drain field, you consulted the Internet. The reference that you read told you that the first thing you should do was to consult the blueprint of your home. The owner of the house already lost the blueprint and told you that you could go and check the records of the house in the environmental and health department. They should be able to provide a copy because they were the one who issued permits to everyone who had septic systems installed in the area. But the best thing that you could do was to consult the area’s septic expert. You called the septic expert’s number that the owner gave you. When the septic expert arrived, you immediately told him that you had a copy of the property’s blueprint. When he looked at it, it was not accurate because he said that they had to make alterations on the septic system’s installation.

The septic expert told you that in cases like yours, you had to rely on the grass that grew over the drain field to really locate it. If the grass over that part of the property is dry, then the drain field was in good condition and was well-maintained. If the grass over the area is soggy, then there could be a heavy clog, backup, or even failure in the drain field. In your drain field’s case, the drain field had dry grass over it so it was pretty easy to spot. After the short lesson, the septic expert informed you of the scheduled pumping out. It was to be done after two years so you had time to save for it. All you had to do was set aside a certain amount for the monthly treatments and you were all set.

It was absolutely great to have your own space to take care of. Having a small home like that helped you get really started on the life that you have always wanted. You didn’t even have to hire a housekeeper because you could easily clean it during the weekends. You told your mother that she didn’t have to drive to your home just to clean it. It seemed like even if you’re all grown up, you would always be the most precious child in the world. In the back of your mind you would always know that you knew how to locate your drain field.