For homes attached to a municipal sewer system, it is the local government’s job to keep that sewer working properly. For homes that use a private septic system, on the other hand, that responsibility falls to the homeowner. Our team at Lee Kirk & Sons Septic has been in this business for over 60 years, and in this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of how septic tank pumping works so that you can know what to expect.
Unlike a public sewer system, where wastewater from the whole city is channeled to major treatment facilities, a septic system is designed to handle the waste from only one building. Waste from the drains and toilets flows into the tank, where it separates into distinct layers: solids sink to the bottom to be broken into sludge by bacteria, while liquids flow into the drain field, where they are filtered and eventually released back into the soil. There is also a third layer that floats on top of the liquid, a scum made of fats, grease, and oils.
Septic tank pumping is necessary because the tank has a limited capacity–while the bacteria can compact the waste to a certain extent, the tank still needs to be emptied out in order to prevent backups or worse problems. Fortunately, septic tank pumping is not a job you need to do yourself, but one you can instead turn over to qualified professionals like ourselves. Our team has the right experience to handle all of your septic tank pumping needs–we’ll come to your home equipped with our tanker truck, suck all the sludge out of your tank, then transport it to the appropriate facilities for disposal.