SEPTIC TANK

WHAT IT IS, ITS PARTS AND HOW IT TREATS WASTEWATER

WHAT IS A SEPTIC TANK?
A watertight & covered receptacle, usually made of concrete or plastic, designed and
constructed to treat wastewater on-site before disposing.

CONCRETE SEPTIC TANK PLASTIC (PE) SEPTIC TANK

 PARTS OF A SEPTIC TANK?

Influent
Effluent
PARTS OF A SEPTIC TANK?
 Digestive chamber - the 1st chamber or compartment where most of the bacteria
digestion happens.
 Leaching chamber - succeeding chambers or compartment for additional treatment
process
 Scum - organic matter that floats on top
 Sludge - organic matter that settles at the bottom
 Influent - water intake to the septic tank
 Effluent - water discharge from the septic tank
 Input baffle – short pipe that permits entry inside the septic tank,
 Output baffle – short pipe that permits exit of treated water.
 Access / Manhole – operable access point for inspection and maintenance
HOW DOES IT WORK?
As wastewater enters the two or three
compartment septic tank through the inlet baffle,
solid material is separated from the wastewater.
Lighter material called scum such as hair, toilet
paper, and less dense feces floats to the top of the
tank while heavier solid material called sludge
settles at the bottom of the tank. This process is
called sedimentation. Water is then pulled from the
clearer zone, the middle zone between the scum
and sludge layer, into the 2nd compartment and the
process of sedimentation is then repeated.

Overtime, sludge will accumulate at the bottom

and will need to be removed. Failing to do so will
result in excessive build up of sludge and can cause
serious problems with the system. For the septic
tank system to operate properly, sludge must be
pumped out when it equals approximately 30% of
the tank capacity. Ideally, septic tanks should be
pumped every 5 years.
 OTHER PROCESSES INSIDE THE SEPTIC TANK

Influent
Effluent

Digestion – the process in which

anaerobic bacteria eats and
digests the scum and sludge
material and transforming them
into liquid and gases
TYPES OF BACTERIA IN THE SEPTIC TANK

AEROBES ANAEROBES FACULTATIVE

- Thrives in the upper part of - Thrives in the deeper part of - Thrives everywhere inside the
the septic tank where there is the septic tank where there is septic tank with or without
still a little bit of oxygen no oxygen oxygen.
 GASES PRODUCED IN THE SEPTIC TANK
METHANE GAS CARBON MONOXIDE HYDROGEN SULFIDE

CH4 CO2 CO H2 H2S HO2

CARBON DIOXIDE HYDROGEN SULFUR DIOXIDE

GASES PRODUCED IN THE SEPTIC TANK
 Methane Gas – is a combination of hydrogen and carbon, a principal component
of natural gas.
 Carbon Dioxide – is a combination of carbon and oxygen. It is the simplest oxide
of carbon.
 Carbon Monoxide – is a byproduct of methane, and classified as poisonous gase
 Hydrogen – evolves as a moist gas from organic waste
 Hydrogen Sulfide – is a colorless gas with offensive odor
 Sulfur Dioxide – is also a colorless gas having an irritating odor.