As a homeowner, you have likely devoted little thought to the way your sewage system works. However, sewage disposal is an important process and one you would quickly notice if it stopped working properly. How does your home dispose of sewage?
What is Sewage?
Many people confuse sewage with greywater. Sewage is the broken down wastewater coming from your home’s toilets. Greywater is used water that is still fairly clean, such as shower water, sink water, dishwater, and laundry water. Sewage tends toward a “sludgey” consistency and is full of bacteria and microbes from fecal matter and other pollutants.
5 Methods of Sewage Disposal
1. Treatment plants
2. Sewage lagoons
Sewage lagoons are exactly what they sound like. Wastewater flows from the home into a lagoon of standing water. Wind and sunlight allow the right bacteria to grow and subject the sewage to a natural treatment.
3. On-site systems
4. Off-site systems
An off-site sewage system receives sewage from surrounding homes and buildings and treats the water for bacteria. It then redirects all wastewater to a community “water collection” before dumping extra water into a nearby water source (river, creek, etc.).
5. Full sewage systems
Safe Ways to Dispose of Sewage Yourself
Generally speaking, you won’t have to dispose of your own sewage unless you experience a sewage spill. In the event of a sewage spill (which occurs when a pipe or tank bursts), you can dispose of your sewage the following ways.
Shop vac
Use an outdoor shop vac to suck up small sewage spills. Then, move the sewage into heavy-duty garbage bags and dispose of it in a dumpster.
Garden lime
Professional cleanup
Norway Septic Inc. is a service-oriented company dedicated to providing excellent septic tank cleaning and septic tank pumping services to homeowners and business owners in the Michiana area. We take pride in doing the job that others leave behind. If you need a new effluent filter or if you would like to schedule a septic tank cleaning by one of our professionals, call us today.
