Septic tank maintenance

What to do when your cesspit overflows

This article will better help the reader understand what to do when your cesspit overflows. This is a homeowner’s nightmare. Proper waste disposal is a must in every household. This is to make sure that the residents are healthy and the environment is kept sanitized. One of the simplest methods of wastewater treatment is the cesspit. It has some traits similar to the septic system but it doesn’t have an outflow pipe. It is a tank that just equipped with perforations along its walls to allow the effluent to disperse into the soil absorption system. The cesspit is technically a collecting tank wherein the wastewater needs to stay for a while. A small amount of treatment takes place in the cesspit. The anaerobic bacteria take care of this primary wastewater treatment. It needs to be empties regularly to make sure that the perforations along the walls of the cesspit won’t be blocked by the sludge produced.

The cesspit is known to emit very disarming odors. Knowing what to do when your cesspit overflows is the key to home survival. These foul gases should have a vent through which they should leave the tank. Usually, an alarm is installed in the cesspit to let the homeowner know that it needs emptying already. Remember NOT TO LIFT the cesspit cover to see if it already needs emptying. The toxic and foul gases will escape and will definitely affect you instantly. Like any system, the cesspit could also suffer from problems like overflows and leaks.

You have to know what to do when your cesspit overflows. The cesspit is very prone to overflows. If you allow this to happen and progress, you will be in trouble with the sanitation law. Remember that the cesspit coexists with the environment it’s in. There are other residential areas and water supply systems that could be greatly affected if you have an overflowing cesspit. If you don’t do anything about it, then the environment and sanitation department in your area would file a case on you.

The common causes of cesspit overflow are heavy rains and leaks. When your area is struck by heavy rains, you should not wash your dirty laundry or do heavy dishwashing. Your cesspit will have more than the recommended water load with the rainfall alone. You shouldn’t have your cesspit pumped out if an overflow happens. This should only aggravate the situation because silt and sediments will only enter the system and clog it further. Just wait for the heavy rains to stop and have the cesspit treated. If you suspect that your system has a leak somewhere, then you should immediately get in touch with your septic expert to get into the main source of the leaks.

Another cause of cesspit overflow is interior physical damage to the system. Vehicles that may have run or construction that may have been performed over the cesspit area could have crushed certain parts of the cesspit. If your household has been using antibacterial or harsh chemicals to clean the house or do your laundry, then you have already killed off the resident bacteria that break down the solid wastes in the tank. If there are no bacteria to do this primary treatment, then the cesspit will only be filled with solid wastes. The incoming wastewater will have nowhere to go but overflow or back up into your home. The dumping of non-biodegradable materials and grease is also a cause of cesspit overflow. Even if you use your garbage disposal unit, these materials will still affect the cesspit negatively. Planting trees and hardwood plants could also contribute to the cesspit’s overflow. These have very invasive roots that penetrate and damage the cesspit and its components. Rain gutters that are directed to drain onto the cesspit area in your yard also bring about cesspit overflow. Not following the pump out schedule for your cesspit also causes heavy overflow.

If you want to have an efficient cesspit system, work with your septic expert and do your part as a homeowner. It could help to add a dry well near your cesspit to take care of the grey water that comes from the washing machine and dishwasher. So knowing what to do when a cesspit overflows is essential to being a homeowner. We hope this article better helped the reader understand what to do when your cesspit overflows.

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