Translating…
Very few people give thought to where waste goes once it leaves the home. If you live within the city limits, your home is likely connected to a city sewer. If so, these by-products will go through to a water treatment plant. For rural residents a septic system installation is necessary.
The Environmental Protection Agency has set strict guidelines that must be adhered to before a septic installation is done. When done properly, a septic installation should operate worry free for a period of twenty years. How upsetting it would be to get your system installed only to be told it must be removed because it did not follow the EPA standards.
This is not to say that a homeowner cannot install his own sewer but the EPA requires that only licensed personal do the work in most areas. If you are building a new home, you must first contact your local building regulations department. That office or the county health department will then give you permission to set the system in place.
For a long period of time concrete waste holders were used. In recent years, plastic holding tanks have been used. They are more lightweight making them easier to handle. In addition to handling easier they are lighter and much more durable than concrete. It has been found that plastic will not break down like concrete does over time.
The rules that have been set in place require the septic tank to be a certain number of feet away from the house. In addition the tank has to be away from a neighbor’s property line by a certain distance. Most importantly, it cannot be anywhere near the drinking water supply. An absorption area, commonly called a leech field, is the area where the waste is filtered. The size of the leech field has to be in proportion to the size of the tank that you have installed.
Depth of placement is also regulated. If not placed far enough below ground sewer gases can be emitted causing a very uncomfortable odor. Keeping the sewage away from the water supply is done to keep contaminated water from being ingested. Many health risks are imposed if your water becomes contaminated including nausea, dysentery, hepatitis, and diarrhea, to name a few.
There are a number of people that complain that the government gets too involved in the private business of the individual. In this case, they are ensuring public health and we should be appreciative of the rules they have set down. Following their guidelines for septic system installation, ensures against defects in the operation of your system. It will last a long time and continue to serve your home uninterrupted.