Septic tank maintenance

laundry water and septic tanks

How plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a cesspit

This article will cover how plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a cesspit. Pollution is a genera term for contamination that happens in the main parts of the environment—land, air, and water. It has long been an issue in many communities and once again, the awareness of pollution has been increased. More and more households are participating in making sure that their components are functional yet environment friendly. It is not a hidden fact that plastic makes it into every home. It may have been an accidental product but it certainly made a lot of difference. Plastic can be found in anything. You find it in food containers, car parts, appliances, furniture, accessories, and even clothing. Laundry water is a common vehicle for nits of fibers and non-biodegradable fragments to make it into your cesspit. When an uncontrolled amount of plastic or nylon enters the cesspit, clogging takes place. If your cesspit experiences clogging, your household and your entire property will turn into chaos.

The cesspit is the forerunner of the modern septic system. It is responsible for treating and purifying your wastewater. If you don’t have a greywater system or a dry well, your cesspit will take all the used water from your dishwasher, showers, drains, and washing machine. If plastic is present in the greywater that come from these sources, your cesspit will surely be in trouble. Plastic is a synthetic substance. Manufacturers of plastic products may have discovered a way to make them biodegradable but most of it remains synthetic and non-biodegradable. So, when plastic makes it into your cesspit, the anaerobic bacteria won’t be able to break down the rest of the plastic components. Bits of non-biodegradable plastic will just stay in the cesspit and clog the entire system. If this clogging isn’t addressed at the soonest, your entire property will experience total chaos. There will be wastewater backups, flooding, and overflow that will lead to cesspit failure.

Another bad thing that comes from biodegradable plastic in the laundry water is the methane that’s produced when it is degraded by the anaerobic bacteria. Methane is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. In high levels, methane can be toxic. Methane is a flammable gas that is hazardous to your home especially if it is exposed to flames. You might end up with a large crater in your backyard  because of an explosion. Worse than that, household members may be injured. Because of the possible dangers of plastic, you should know how plastics and nylons from laundry water can cause clogging in a cesspit. If you do, you will be able to prevent cesspit problems.

As a responsible home and cesspit owner, you should make sure that plastic will not be able to enter the cesspit. Additional filters in the washing machine and in the inflow pipe should be able to prevent plastic fibers and particles from entering the cesspit. Filters should also be installed and constantly checked so that they could be replaced on a regular basis. Efficient filters will definitely help keep solid waste particles from laundry water away from the cesspit. Since plastic fibers won’t be degraded anymore, they will only accumulate and clog the perforations along the sides of the cesspit. Minute particles of plastic might even be pushed into the surrounding soil absorption system. The aerobic bacteria in the soil absorption system also won’t be able to break down the plastic particulates so clogging will still take place.

When cesspit clogging happens, the aerobic bacteria are killed off. If aerobic bacteria die, the biomat will not be regulated anymore. Biomat will increase in number and help the plastic particles clog the system as well. Plastic is not your cesspit’s friend. So, you have to make sure that it doesn’t make it into your wastewater treatment system. You should discuss installing a greywater system or a dry well with your septic expert so that your cesspit won’t have to deal with laundry water and possible plastic contamination. It may cost more, but it will yield more benefits for your cesspit.