Water School

A septic system is an on-site means of treating and disposing of domestic sewage without sending it to a municipal water treatment system. A septic system receives the waste from a home or business and uses an anaerobic method of breaking down the waste in a manner that will not harm people or the environment.

A typical system includes a tank that allows the decomposition of solids by naturally occurring bacteria as well as a set of lines or a pit to dispose of the effluent or liquid. Anaerobic bacteria, or bacteria that are able to live in an oxygen-free environment, break the solids down and deactivate some of the potentially disease-causing microorganisms in the wastewater.

The liquid is typically sent to a nearby drain field where a series of pipes carries it through gravel or other materials, filtering the water as it is carried down by gravity. The remaining water evaporates through the soil at the drain field.