Our park has 2 houses on each septic system, some of them are having problems and we were wanting to know if anyone has used the aerator systems OR any of the chemical treatments that are available.Thanks,Leighnae
My personal opinion based on the research I have read indicates the treatment systems are temporary at best and at worst completely useless. Most septic problems are caused by improper maintenance of the tank which leads to premature failure of the bed. Preventative maintenance is the best medicine for septic and involves regular pumping of tanks. However once a septic bed is at the end of it’s life there is little option but to replace. A properly maintained bed should have a usable life expectancy of 25 years. What are the symptoms your tenants are experiencing.When was the last time the holding tanks were pumped out.
We use aeration systems in a sewer plant we operate. It uses ‘blowers’ that pump air 24 / 7 through air pipes and out ‘aeration’ ends. The blowers are powered by big electric motors. Several things here- I am not sure if you would use this in a septic system. If I was having problems int he breakdown of solids I would probably run everything into a pit- and then use a pump and grind system prior to the septic holding tank. You might also have a biological problem in the tank. In terms I can understand- ‘the bugs might be dead’. You should contact someone that has training in wastewater prior to doing ANYTHING to the system. Septic systems are tricky. There are soaps and detergents you can not use or they really hurt the system. Once you learn what you can and can not allow, hopefully you can post a notice and get the septic back under control.
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There is an article posted on MSN, March 2015, concerning the ‘wipes’ problem that the NY sewer department is having. All sewer districts are having some degree of trouble with them. These wipes, baby, personal, or otherwise, are made of non-woven material of some type, probably a plastic compound. They are not digestible at the sewer plants or in a septic tank. The sewer plants ‘rake’ them from the influent at the head end of the plant then send them via truck to a hazardous landfill.
However, in a septic system they may present a special hazard. They are likely to follow the effluent from a septic tank into the leach lines where they will sit until the individual lines are plugged up, thus shortening the expected life of your leach field. The only reasonable thing to do would be to ban their use in your septic system park. See the ocsd.com website for more details.
Jim Allen
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If you take care of your septic system with regular maintenance and pumping at least once every three years, it can live for long decades.