Do you ever wonder what happens after you flush the toilet, or use the garbage disposal? Probably not, because who thinks about stuff like that?! But now that I’ve brought it up aren’t you just a little bit interested in finding out about plumbing waste?
The answer to the question does vary a bit from house to house, but staying informed, may help you better understand how to care for your sewer system and save you from wasting money down the line.
Do You Live in a House With a Septic Tank?
If you live in a rural area, it is possible that your house has a septic tank. If you do have a septic tank, the process your waste undergoes looks entirely different than homes using a public sewer system.
The septic tank collects and holds wastewater long enough for solids to sink to the bottom, and grease and oil float to the top.
The liquid wastewater then exits the tank and flows into the drain field and filters through the soil.
The soil accepts the water and begins to treat it. As the water passes through the soil, it is naturally purified of coliform bacteria, viruses, and nutrients.
Be careful not to overflood the drain field, as doing so will result in sewage rising to the surface. It can also cause backups in your sinks and toilets.
Are You Connected to a Municipal Sewer System?
A sewer system is typically found in more urban areas. Wastewater flows through drain pipes to the sewer mainline.
Sewage flows into the progressively larger pipes until it reaches a water treatment plant. At this plant, wastewater will undergo three stages of treatment.
At first, solids will sink and grease floats, just like in a septic tank. The second stage is where wastewater flows into aeration tanks where bacteria will consume all the organic materials and nutrients they can.
Water then flows out, allowing bacteria to settle out. In the third phase of treatment, chemicals are usually used to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from the water, and chlorine is added to kill any remaining bacteria, and the water is then discharged.
What Are Some Other Waste Disposal Techniques?
There are a few other options for disposing of waste. A cesspool, for example, is a different form of waste disposal that works similarly to a septic tank.
The difference is that wastewater percolates through brick or cement block walls of the cesspool directly into the soil, instead of flowing into a drain field.
In an electric sewage treatment facility, the wastewater gets aerated electrically with rotating discs and pumps which spray wastewater onto a media.
Another form of disposing of waste is through a gravity drain, where, using a downward sloping pipe, sewage is moved away from home to a sewage plant. Usually, lift stations are required to get wastewater into the treatment plant.
Now that you know of all the ways wastewater can be treated, you may be wondering how your home disposes of its wastewater. If you’re not sure how your wastewater is treated or simply have questions about determining the right fit for your home, give Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer a call today!