Septic tank maintenance

March 18th, 2013:

Salt can Wreak havoc in a raised mound system

This article will cover how salt can Wreak havoc in a raised mound system. You tend to overlook simple things when you are all excited about getting a house of your own. Oftentimes, new homeowners are surprised at the type of septic system installed in their property because they didn’t know about the type of soil that they have. For properties that have either too low or too high percolation rates, a specialized septic is recommended and installed—the raised mound system. The raised mound is exactly what it is—a raised mound. It is elevated because it needs to make room for more filters to help the soil treat the wastewater much faster and much more efficiently. A raised mound I also like the conventional septic system. It has a tank that gathers and pre-treats the effluent. It has anaerobic bacteria that break down solid waste particles so that the effluent will not have any particulates by the time it reaches the filters and the soil absorption area. It also has aerobic bacteria that regulate the boimat, which purifies the effluent before it is released into the surrounding environment.  Like the common septic, the raised mound system also experiences problems like clogging. Raised mound clogging can be caused by improper use of drains, toilets, and sinks, invasive roots, and errant disposal of waste. Another cause of clogging in the raised mound is the accumulation of salt in the system.

Salt accumulation happens when you experience hard water problems. Hard water has calcium and magnesium that do not allow your soap or detergents to lather up. This makes you repeat your washes, resulting to  more time, money, effort, and water  spent on washing chores. You spend more on water bills and soaps, so your budget is affected. The water load in the tank increases when you use too much water. It stirs up the solid waste particles so bacteria cannot degrade them at a normal pace. They just float in the tank until they clog the filters and the soil absorption area. Hard water also turns your soap into sticky, slimy scum that clogs drains. To face hard water problems, you need to use water softeners. They have beads that attract the calcium and magnesium ions so that they could be flushed out of the water supply system. What’s left are the sodium carbonate ions or salt ions that soften the water. Softened water makes washing a lot easier. With it, you will be able to accomplish washing chores much faster and much easier but there is a consequence to it. Salt accumulates in your raised mound system when you use water softeners too often. With this, you should understand how salt can wreak havoc in a raised mound system so that you could find ways on how you could make your wastewater system more efficient.

As you know, salt is a preservative. It kills bacteria so that the organic substance could last longer. Saltwater is not ideal for freshwater organisms such as your septic bacteria. They will definitely die off once they have more salt in their environment. The salt in the wastewater will suck out all the water from the bacterial bodies. You  should minimize the use of water softeners. Also talk to your septic expert so that helpful additives can be administered in your raised mound system. These additives will help your raised mound function optimally even if you have a hard water crisis.

Using eco-friendly detergents and soaps will also prevent more bacteria from dying. Harsh cleaners have strong bases and acids that kill bacteria. You should also make sure that you adhere to your pump out schedules so that the salt left in the system could be completely cleaned out. Hard water is a crisis because it makes it challenging to maintain your home. It can alter your budget and the amount of time that you spend on tasks. With the help of your septic expert, you could have a raised mound system that is more effective and more lasting.