Anyone wanting to install a septic system or perform repairs to an existing septic system needs a septic construction permit. An approved site evaluation is also required.
The site evaluation includes soil borings and a perc test in the area of the proposed system. It also identifies the type of system most suitable for your land.
What is a Septic Tank?
A septic tank is an underground storage tank for sewage waste for homes that don’t use city sewer systems. When you flush a toilet, shower, or wash clothes, wastewater goes down a house sewer line that slopes toward your septic tank. A septic tank acts as your underground wastewater treatment plant, breaking down waste from your home. But if yours is outdated or malfunctioning, consider professional septic tank installation Orlando, FL.
In your septic tank, wastewater undergoes a separation process. Solid waste sinks to the bottom of the tank, where microorganisms decompose it. Scum, composed of waste that’s lighter than water, floats to the top. The liquid effluent exits the tank into a drainage field or soil absorption system (a leach field).
As bacteria break down contaminants in your septic tank, they release gases. These gasses must be vented to prevent a pressure build-up that could stop or reverse wastewater flow. The gasses are also released to help reduce odors. It would help if you had your septic tank pumped regularly by a licensed septic pumping service. Septic tanks can be made of fiberglass, polymers, or concrete.
What is a Septic System?
Septic systems protect public health by preventing contamination of the groundwater supply. They work by collecting, treating, and discharging household wastewater. The system’s components include a tank, drain field, and pump. Septic system owners are responsible for ensuring the proper maintenance of their systems to prevent wastewater from contaminating the environment.
Septic tanks look like giant metal or plastic boxes and are located underground. The top of the tank usually has inspection pipes and maintenance hole access ports for pumping. Inside, waste separates into three layers:
- Solids settle to the bottom, where microorganisms decompose them.
- Effluent flows through the middle layer and floats on the surface as scum.
- Wastewater exits through underground perforated pipes into the drain field’s soil.
The location of the septic system must consider minimum setback requirements from houses, driveways, walls, or structures on your property, wells, streams, lakes, or ponds, and your property line. The site must also have adequate space for the septic tank and drain field.
What is a Pump?
The septic tank pump is a high-output, electric, continuous-duty submersible waste-transporting pump. It’s part of a pump station and draws wastewater from the tank into the pump chamber through the suction pipe, then pumps it to the leach field for treatment.
According to state regulations, conventional septic systems require lots that are large enough to accommodate the original wastewater system and an adequate reserve area. The site evaluator must verify the lot size through field measurements, soil borings, and other data sources.
Buying the tank is just one aspect of overall septic system costs, including installation and other components. It’s not uncommon for septic systems to cost between $10,000-$25,000. The exact cost depends on location, septic tank size, and other factors. Plumbing professionals who install or repair septic systems must have licensing and certification. Those credentials typically involve passing a comprehensive exam on topics including minimum site requirements, construction criteria, appropriate connections and venting, safety considerations, and state laws related to septic systems.
What is a Leach Field?
Your leach field is the final step in your septic system. It is a series of perforated drain lines buried in a large drainage area of your yard. This is where the wastewater is thoroughly cleaned by native soil.
A well-functioning leach field is silent and odorless. But if your leach field needs to be fixed, you may notice that the yard smells of sewage, and your toilets and drains must be flushing correctly.
A clogged leach field can cause severe problems, including sewage backups inside the home and water in the yard, septic tank odors, and ground movement that damages pipes. One of the main reasons for a clogged leach field is using too many cleaning products and other harsh chemicals, which disrupts the natural bacterial balance in the septic system. Another reason is a lack of proper maintenance, which includes regular septic tank pumping. Clogged leach fields can also be caused by improper septic tank size and installation and poor soil assessment.