PRIVATE SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM
Septic tanks are usually neglected due to misunderstanding the requirements of maintaining a septic tank
system. On average a septic tank should be pumped and inspected every 3 years. The average cost to do this
is $180 if you live in Limestone County, $300 if you live in Madison County, $225 if you live within the Huntsville
City Limits. The different prices reflect the fees that each municipality charges for dumping the sewage at their
treatment plant. These prices include digging up the soil to get to the tank lid. So, if you get a quote higher than
that, you need to shop around.
A good septic tank/system service company is Mr. Septic 604-9681.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is an excerpt from an information pamphlet on the septic tank system, including a pump out schedule.
Septic Tank Pumping Guide
Information provided by the Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension.
The most common domestic wastewater treatment system used in rural areas is the septic tank-soil
absorption system. The septic tank removes settleable and floatable solids from the waste water. The soil
absorption field then filters and treats the clarified septic tank effluent and distributes it through the soil.
Removing the solids from the wastewater protects the soil absorption system from clogging and failure. In
addition to removing solids, the septic tank also promotes biological digestion of a portion of the solids and
stores the remaining undigested portion.
The first stage of the treatment system, the septic tank, removes solids by holding wastewater in the tank. This
allows the heavier solids to settle as sludge and the lighter particles to form scum at the top. To accomplish
this, wastewater should be held in the tank for at least 24 hours. Up to 50 percent of the solids retained in the
tank decompose; the remainder accumulate in the tank. Biological and chemical additives are not needed to aid
or accelerate decomposition.
As the system is used, sludge continues to accumulate in the bottom of the septic tank. Properly designed
tanks have enough space for up to three years safe accumulation of sludge. When the sludge level increases
beyond this point, sewage has less time to settle before leaving the tank and more solids escape into the
absorption area. If too much sludge accumulates, no settling occurs before the sewage flows to the soil
absorption field. Infiltration of sludge into the soil absorption field can cause system failure. To prevent this, the
tank must be pumped periodically. The material pumped is known as septage.
The frequency of pumping depends on several factors:
Capacity of the septic tank
Volume of wastewater (related to size of household)
Amount of solids in wastewater (e.g. garbage disposals produce more solids)
The below table lists estimated pumping frequency according to septic tank capacity and household size. The
frequencies were calculated to provide a minimum of 24 hours of wastewater retention assuming 50 percent
digestion of the retained solids.
TABLE Estimated septic tank pumping frequencies in years (for year-round residences)
---------------Years between pumping--------------
500 Gal. Every 2.6 Years for a family of 2; Once per year for a family of 4.
750 Gal. Every 4.2 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2 years for a family of 4.
900 Gal. Every 5.2 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2.3 years for a family of 4.
1000 Gal. Every 5.9 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2.6 years for a family of 4.
1250 Gal. Every 7.5 Years for a family of 2; Once per 3.4 years for a family of 4.
1500 Gal. Every 9.1 Years for a family of 2; Once per 4.2 years for a family of 4.
Other size tanks would need to be looked at on an individual basis.
Note: More frequent pumping is needed if a garbage disposal is used. Generally the indicated frequency will
vary with the volume of solids (+20% for high volume, -20% for low volume).
Under current Pennsylvania law a 900 gallon septic tank is the minimum size that must be used for a home with
three bedrooms or less. If six people reside in a three-bedroom house, the tank should be pumped every 1.3
years. If the same system serves a family of two, the tank would be ready for pumping every 5.2 years. Systems
installed before the current rules and regulations were implemented may need to be pumped more often,
perhaps every year or less.
If you have just moved into a home, you may not know the size of the tank. In this case, you should have the tank
pumped and inspected. The company pumping the tank will tell you its size, age, and condition.
Septic tanks will not fail immediately if they are not pumped. However, an un-maintained septic tank is no longer
protecting the soil absorption field from solids. Continued neglect may result in system failure and even
replacement of the soil absorption field. In some cases, site limitations may make replacement of the
absorption field impossible. If system replacement is the only option, contact your local Sewage Enforcement
Officer (SEO) or municipal sanitarian or health department since a permit for the new system will be required.
In order for a tank to function properly, adequate liquid volume must be maintained to allow for sufficient "settling
time" which permits solids to either settle out as sludge or join the floating-scum layer at the top of the tank.
Baffles in the tank prevent the floating scum from leaving the tank, an event which would lead to rapid failure of
the absorption system. When pumping is too infrequent, even if the tank is not totally clogged with solids, the
reduced liquid volume in the tank cuts settlement time and forces small floating solids out to the absorption
system, shortening its life.
Cleaning Septic Tanks
Septic tank pump and haul contractors can clean your tank. It is a good idea to supervise cleaning to assure that
it is done properly. To extract all the material from the tank, the scum layer must be broken up and the sludge
layer mixed with the liquid portion of the tank. This is usually done by alternately pumping liquid from the tank
and re-injecting it into the bottom of the tank. The septic tank should be pumped through the large central
manhole, not the baffle inspection ports. Pumping a tank through the baffle inspection ports can damage the
baffles, resulting in a destroyed leach field.
The use of additives in septic tanks to reduce the sludge volume or substitute for pumping is not
recommended. In fact, relying on additives rather than conventional tank pumping may result in failure of the
septic system. Septic additives are illegal in many jurisdictions.
Before closing the tank, check the condition of the baffles. If they are missing or deteriorated, replace them with
appropriate sanitary tee baffles. It should never be necessary to enter a septic tank. Any work to replace the
baffles or repair the tank should be done from the outside. Decomposing wastes in the septic tank produce
toxic gases which can kill a human in a matter of minutes. When working on a tank be sure the area is well
ventilated and that someone is standing nearby.
To facilitate future cleaning and inspection, install risers from the central manhole and inspection ports to the
surface before burying the tank Also mark the location of the tank, so it can be easily identified.
Summary
The septic tank is only one part of an on-site wastewater system. It is designed to remove solids prior to the
effluent entering the soil absorption field, provide for the digestion of a portion of those solids, and store the
remaining solids. Biological and chemical additives are not needed to aid or accelerate decomposition.
Garbage grinders impose an additional solids load on the system. Solids must be removed periodically to
prevent them from entering the soil absorption field. For a properly designed septic system, the tank should be
inspected and pumped every 2 to 3 years
Septic tanks are usually neglected due to misunderstanding the requirements of maintaining a septic tank
system. On average a septic tank should be pumped and inspected every 3 years. The average cost to do this
is $180 if you live in Limestone County, $300 if you live in Madison County, $225 if you live within the Huntsville
City Limits. The different prices reflect the fees that each municipality charges for dumping the sewage at their
treatment plant. These prices include digging up the soil to get to the tank lid. So, if you get a quote higher than
that, you need to shop around.
A good septic tank/system service company is Mr. Septic 604-9681.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is an excerpt from an information pamphlet on the septic tank system, including a pump out schedule.
Septic Tank Pumping Guide
Information provided by the Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension.
The most common domestic wastewater treatment system used in rural areas is the septic tank-soil
absorption system. The septic tank removes settleable and floatable solids from the waste water. The soil
absorption field then filters and treats the clarified septic tank effluent and distributes it through the soil.
Removing the solids from the wastewater protects the soil absorption system from clogging and failure. In
addition to removing solids, the septic tank also promotes biological digestion of a portion of the solids and
stores the remaining undigested portion.
The first stage of the treatment system, the septic tank, removes solids by holding wastewater in the tank. This
allows the heavier solids to settle as sludge and the lighter particles to form scum at the top. To accomplish
this, wastewater should be held in the tank for at least 24 hours. Up to 50 percent of the solids retained in the
tank decompose; the remainder accumulate in the tank. Biological and chemical additives are not needed to aid
or accelerate decomposition.
As the system is used, sludge continues to accumulate in the bottom of the septic tank. Properly designed
tanks have enough space for up to three years safe accumulation of sludge. When the sludge level increases
beyond this point, sewage has less time to settle before leaving the tank and more solids escape into the
absorption area. If too much sludge accumulates, no settling occurs before the sewage flows to the soil
absorption field. Infiltration of sludge into the soil absorption field can cause system failure. To prevent this, the
tank must be pumped periodically. The material pumped is known as septage.
The frequency of pumping depends on several factors:
Capacity of the septic tank
Volume of wastewater (related to size of household)
Amount of solids in wastewater (e.g. garbage disposals produce more solids)
The below table lists estimated pumping frequency according to septic tank capacity and household size. The
frequencies were calculated to provide a minimum of 24 hours of wastewater retention assuming 50 percent
digestion of the retained solids.
TABLE Estimated septic tank pumping frequencies in years (for year-round residences)
---------------Years between pumping--------------
500 Gal. Every 2.6 Years for a family of 2; Once per year for a family of 4.
750 Gal. Every 4.2 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2 years for a family of 4.
900 Gal. Every 5.2 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2.3 years for a family of 4.
1000 Gal. Every 5.9 Years for a family of 2; Once per 2.6 years for a family of 4.
1250 Gal. Every 7.5 Years for a family of 2; Once per 3.4 years for a family of 4.
1500 Gal. Every 9.1 Years for a family of 2; Once per 4.2 years for a family of 4.
Other size tanks would need to be looked at on an individual basis.
Note: More frequent pumping is needed if a garbage disposal is used. Generally the indicated frequency will
vary with the volume of solids (+20% for high volume, -20% for low volume).
Under current Pennsylvania law a 900 gallon septic tank is the minimum size that must be used for a home with
three bedrooms or less. If six people reside in a three-bedroom house, the tank should be pumped every 1.3
years. If the same system serves a family of two, the tank would be ready for pumping every 5.2 years. Systems
installed before the current rules and regulations were implemented may need to be pumped more often,
perhaps every year or less.
If you have just moved into a home, you may not know the size of the tank. In this case, you should have the tank
pumped and inspected. The company pumping the tank will tell you its size, age, and condition.
Septic tanks will not fail immediately if they are not pumped. However, an un-maintained septic tank is no longer
protecting the soil absorption field from solids. Continued neglect may result in system failure and even
replacement of the soil absorption field. In some cases, site limitations may make replacement of the
absorption field impossible. If system replacement is the only option, contact your local Sewage Enforcement
Officer (SEO) or municipal sanitarian or health department since a permit for the new system will be required.
In order for a tank to function properly, adequate liquid volume must be maintained to allow for sufficient "settling
time" which permits solids to either settle out as sludge or join the floating-scum layer at the top of the tank.
Baffles in the tank prevent the floating scum from leaving the tank, an event which would lead to rapid failure of
the absorption system. When pumping is too infrequent, even if the tank is not totally clogged with solids, the
reduced liquid volume in the tank cuts settlement time and forces small floating solids out to the absorption
system, shortening its life.
Cleaning Septic Tanks
Septic tank pump and haul contractors can clean your tank. It is a good idea to supervise cleaning to assure that
it is done properly. To extract all the material from the tank, the scum layer must be broken up and the sludge
layer mixed with the liquid portion of the tank. This is usually done by alternately pumping liquid from the tank
and re-injecting it into the bottom of the tank. The septic tank should be pumped through the large central
manhole, not the baffle inspection ports. Pumping a tank through the baffle inspection ports can damage the
baffles, resulting in a destroyed leach field.
The use of additives in septic tanks to reduce the sludge volume or substitute for pumping is not
recommended. In fact, relying on additives rather than conventional tank pumping may result in failure of the
septic system. Septic additives are illegal in many jurisdictions.
Before closing the tank, check the condition of the baffles. If they are missing or deteriorated, replace them with
appropriate sanitary tee baffles. It should never be necessary to enter a septic tank. Any work to replace the
baffles or repair the tank should be done from the outside. Decomposing wastes in the septic tank produce
toxic gases which can kill a human in a matter of minutes. When working on a tank be sure the area is well
ventilated and that someone is standing nearby.
To facilitate future cleaning and inspection, install risers from the central manhole and inspection ports to the
surface before burying the tank Also mark the location of the tank, so it can be easily identified.
Summary
The septic tank is only one part of an on-site wastewater system. It is designed to remove solids prior to the
effluent entering the soil absorption field, provide for the digestion of a portion of those solids, and store the
remaining solids. Biological and chemical additives are not needed to aid or accelerate decomposition.
Garbage grinders impose an additional solids load on the system. Solids must be removed periodically to
prevent them from entering the soil absorption field. For a properly designed septic system, the tank should be
inspected and pumped every 2 to 3 years
Septic Tank Information
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