Septic tank maintenance

Conserving water to help you cesspools.

This article will discuss Conserving water to help you cesspools. Because you own a cesspool, you already know that you own an old system of wastewater treatment. Even if it is considered a basic system, it remains an efficient way to treat wastewater. The cesspool has been used and retained by many homeowners especially if they own an old house. The cesspool may not have an outflow pipe like the modern septic system but it does have an absorption field that is reached by the pre-treated effluent through perforations in the tank itself. Due to the fact that it is very expensive to purchase and install a modern septic system with this economy, many maintain the cesspool that they have in their premises. They do their best to make sure that their wastewater treatment system is optimal for years to come. It can be a challenge to do this especially since a cesspool may be very old already but with the proper guidance from the local septic expert, you can make sure of caring for it the right way. It was definitely a milestone for modern man to design and build the cesspool. Through it, households were able to isolate the toxic wastes from the livable environments effectively and communities were able to prevent epidemics.

To keep a cesspool running smoothly, you have to practice proper use and care of it. The primary consideration that you have to take is the type of chemicals you use as household cleaners. As much as possible, avoid using harsh chemicals. Instead, purchase the eco-friendly ones that do not harm the bacteria in the cesspool or contaminate the environment. Harsh chemicals kill off the resident bacteria. Without these microorganisms, there is no wastewater treatment processes that take place. You and your household should also avoid dumping non-biodegradable materials into your toilets, drains, and sinks. These substances cannot be decomposed by the resident bacteria. They just stay in the cesspool and clog everything there. Performing regular pump outs is also a vital factor to consider in caring for your cesspool. By regularly pumping out the sludge from the cesspool, you make room for the proper wastewater treatment process. It also prevents the solid waste from clogging the tank’s perforations and the absorption field. Also, make sure that you remove all heavy vehicles and structures over your cesspool. These will crush your cesspool’s components and severely damage your wastewater treatment system.

You should also practice conserving water to help you care for your cesspools. As you may know, wastewater is produced by your household every day. Your cesspool has a certain capacity that could hold just the right amount of fluids. If you are not mindful of your water consumption, then you continuously add more water into your cesspool. The sudden rush of grey water from your washing machine or dishwasher stirs up the solid waste materials in the cesspool and delays the decomposition performed by the anaerobic bacteria. As a result, the solid waste particles flow into the soil absorption field. When this happens, the entire cesspool system will inevitably fail. You could conserve water in your home by doing the following:

  • Cut down your tub baths. Just use your shower. This way, you won’t be overwhelming your cesspool with that much wastewater.
  • Have your plumber repair any leaks in your plumbing. Even a collection of small leaks can bring forth a lot of water into the cesspool.
  • Avoid using your dishwasher and washing machine at the same time. They could overwhelm the cesspool with the large amount of grey water they dump into it.

You could have a dry well built beside your cesspool to catch the grey water from your home and excess runoff during a heavy rain. This will help your cesspool run smoothly because it won’t suffer from too much from the additional fluids. Talk to your household members and tell them to manage their water consumption so that water can be used more wisely and not merely dumped into the cesspool to cause trouble such as wastewater flooding or backup.

Comments are closed.