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It's not a fast process at all, or it would flood the drain field. Most septic tanks are about 4 x 4 x 8 and so have a surface area of 32 square feet, the drain is usually about 3 " below the intake, so about 8 cubic feet of water difference. That's around 50 gallons and the fields for an average house should be 300-400 feet of 4"pipe, usually in 4-6 pipes branching off from a separation box. The idea is for it to filter into every pipe and leach slowly into the ground. Once the tank is full, the water filters out at the same rate it's admitted, and the solids settle in the tank. - - When I said 'filtered' by the way, that is exactly what I meant. Every good septic tank has a filter at the outlet to prevent hair, paper and soap scum from entering the field. Filters are cleaned every 2-3 months by putting a garden hose into them.

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Where does the shower water go in a septic tank system?

In a septic tank system, the shower water goes into the septic tank where it is treated and filtered before being released into the drain field for further absorption into the ground.


What is an area of ground in a septic system that the water filters through called?

The area of ground in a septic system where water filters through is called a drain field or leach field. This is where the effluent from the septic tank is dispersed and treated by soil microorganisms before entering the groundwater.


What is the area of the ground in a septic system that the water filters through?

It is a septic system drainfield.


Can a Leaking toilet overflow the septic tank?

Since it is just water, it should go directly to the laterals. If the septic tank was full, the toilet would not drain. There may be a problem with the tank or the lateral field. ========================================================== Put simply a septic tank is always full! It starts off being full of water. Over time (a long time) a layer of processed toilet forms at the bottom as compost. At the same time the lighter than water items, grease,fat, oil, plastic etc: float on the top. Our toilet is 70% water, the remaining 30%solids are converted into carbon dioxide and methane gases before dropping to the bottom of the tank as a few grams of compost, hence the fact that a correctly sized septic tank , used only for things we had already eaten, will take twenty or thirty years before it requires emptying. As waste enters the tank, it pushes processed liquid out of the other side. The level remains the same. All this stops when the drain field is full of liquid, due perhaps, to a raised water table, if your drain field is sitting in the middle of an underground lake, then you have to wait for the lakes water level to drop, before your drain field will empty. A company should not install a drain field where there is less than 36 inches of soil between the bottom of the drain field and the seasonal high of ground water.


What happens to the water that flows into a septic tank?

It collects in the tank and either evaporates over time or if more water goes into the tank than it can hold it outflows into whats called a drain field. It flows through perforated pipes into the area around the septic tank where it is filtered through and into the soil.


What are the common signs that indicate a need for septic line repair?

Common signs that indicate a need for septic line repair include slow draining sinks or toilets, gurgling noises coming from drains, foul odors near the septic tank, sewage backups in the house, and pooling water or lush green grass above the septic tank or drain field.


How do you put a sump pump in when you have a septic system and no good fall around house?

If all that you're pumping is water, just rout it to the septic system. Ideally, this would be through a floor drain or the water softener drain or a washer drain. Sump pumps have a screen on them to prevent them from pumping out dirt and rocks.


Where should the water from a septic system evaporate?

into the ground, your septic has a tank that separates solids and liquids. The solids stay in tank until pumped out and the liquids continue into a leech field that is all over your yard.


Where does the sewage in the septic tank go?

See related link. A septic tank is underground and helps waste water from homes decompose. The water will exit the septic tank in the drain field, where there is further decomposition. In fact the waste water merely transits the septic tank on its way to the drain field where it undergoes an aerobic process in the earth, being cleaned and turned back into water. The septic tank holds our solid waste, while it undergoes an anaerobic (airless) process, where it is turned into methane, carbon dioxide and various other gases. The solids start off as 70% water, after process they are very much reduced and are more or less compost, that is collected when the tank is full (in fact less than half full) and spread on fields as compost, or taken to a sewage plant for further process before being spread in fields as compost.


Where does drity water goes?

Down the drain to the city sewer line and then to a waste treatment plant where it is cleaned and put back into a stream or river. If you live in the country, you have a septic tank which is a large box underground . The water goes to the septic tank and than to a lateral field which is a series of perforated pipes underground that the water goes into and then is absorbed into the ground.


How much water can a septic tank handle per day and what factors can affect its capacity?

A septic tank can typically handle around 150-250 gallons of water per person per day. Factors that can affect its capacity include the size of the tank, the number of people using it, water usage habits, and the condition of the tank and drain field.


How do you know if you have a septic tank?

If you are in a city, it is unlikely you have a septic system. Country, you probably do. Most places have a charge for sewer on the water bill. If you are on a well, you have a septic. When it is dry in the summer, the grass over the lateral field will be green longer than the rest of the yard. Look to see where the main drain leaves the house. If it is towards the street you are on a sewer, if towards the side or back yard, it is most likely a septic.