How Your Septic System Works

Learning how your septic system works will help you make the right decisions concerning routine septic maintenance.

If you’ve never had a problem with your septic system, you may not know exactly how your septic system functions. It’s a relatively complicated process, but HEP’s here to help.

From Your Faucet to Your Septic Tank

Every time you flush a toilet, take a shower, run your dishwasher, wash clothes, or even wash your hands, wastewater travels down your home’s drains and meets at a single pipe that runs from your home to your septic tank.

The wastewater coming from your home contains solids, organic matter, nutrients, as well as microorganisms that can cause disease, and it’s your septic tank’s job to begin the process of removing these things from your wastewater.

Separating Liquids and Solids

Once wastewater leaves your home through your main line, it enters your septic tank, the first stage of your septic system. Inside your septic tank, as wastewater enters from one end, the same amount of water exits from the other end, maintaining a constant volume of water. This process flushes water from your tank and stops solids from escaping.

When the water leaves the septic tank, it passes through a filter and into an outlet that passes through to the plastic drain field. From the drain field, water is absorbed by the soil, naturally purifying the water and putting it back into the water cycle.

Routine Septic Maintenance

To ensure that your septic system continues to work properly, you should have a professional come out to your home and pump out your septic tank every 3 – 5 years, as recommended by the EPA.

Call HEP Today for Your Septic Pumping!

If you have any questions about having your septic tank pumped or septic repairs performed, call HEP today at (865) 234-0501.

We can answer your questions and schedule for one of our experienced technicians to come out to your home and inspect your septic system.