M&S Sanitary Sewage, Inc. provides full service septic tank cleaning services. One of our highly trained technicians will come to your location, inspect the system, make an assessment, pump your tank, back-flush it to thoroughly clean the tank and inspect the tank's baffles and the overall condition of your tank. We'll mail you discounted coupons as a reminder that your next service is due!
What is a Septic System?
There are two parts of a septic system. First is the septic tank which is where treatment occurs. This watertight tank stores solid waste while it breaks down. It is made up of decay resistant materials that meet the specifications provided by your state.
Next is the drain field which is where soil absorption occurs. A drain field can come in one of three forms: standard, sand mound or pressure dosing. Despite the type of system you have, their purpose if the same: to renovate, treat and dispose of the wastewater.
Most septic systems function as designed for 20-25 years, as long as a regular maintenance schedule is followed, and you keep your drain field free of trees, shrubs, heavy equipment and vehicles.
How Does a Septic System Work?Wastewater is carried from your home or business through a pipe and deposited into the septic tank where it is collected and stored. Bacteria within the tank organically break down the solids turning them into sludge. Heavier solids sink to the bottom of the tank and form the sludge and the lighter materials float to the surface of the water and form a layer of scum.
The wastewater, which is free of solids, grease, laundry detergent and other harmful materials then passes through the baffle. Then, the wastewater goes through the distribution box and is carried into the drain field. The function of the baffle is to prevent the layer of scum from entering the drain field, and the distribution box evenly distributes the flow of the wastewater throughout the drain field. Once in the drain field, the wastewater is distributed throughout the layers of gravel and into the soil where it is filtered and purified.
Why do septic systems fail?
A system will experience failure as a result of a sewage backup in the plumbing. In addition to the plumbing, it can also emerge on the surface of the ground in the drain field which is damaging to the environment and unsafe for your family.
- Clogged or sluggish drain lines
- Sewage backup in the drain lines and appliances
- Gurgling noises in the pipes and drain
- The alarm on your system goes off
- Sewage or grey water on the surface of the ground in your drain field
- Soft, mushy ground or thicker green grass around the system
- Sewage odor outside of the residence
Failure of a system is normally caused by one of three factors:
Inadequate maintenance of the systemImproper design
Faulty installation
1. Inadequate Maintenance: Septic tanks must be pumped on a regular basis. There are several factors that determine what “regular” means such as the number of people living in the household, the size and age of the system, the water usage, etc. The average household should have their systems pumped every two years. If a regular schedule is not followed, solids will accumulate within the tank and eventually flow into the drain field and clog your system.
By not following a regular schedule, you may also jeopardize your system’s baffles. If your system isn’t pumped on a regular basis, the baffles might become damaged and deteriorate. This will then allow the scum to flow into the drain field.
You should keep the area around your drain field clear of vegetation with large roots such as trees and shrubs. In general, it is not a good idea to have any vegetation around the system because the plants will seek a water source and their roots can compromise the system.
Also, heavy equipment and vehicles can crush the pipes and damage the drain field. Cars and trucks should never be parked or driven across the drain field. Not only can these items do direct damage to the system itself, but these heavy objects also compact the soil which will bind the ground. If the ground is unable to breath, the circulation and drainage will not function properly. These things can lead to direct damage to the pipes and system, or they can lead to backups and other problems that will surface a while after the damage was done, making it difficult to pinpoint the problem.
Homeowners and business managers should monitor the building’s water usage. Your system was designed to handle a certain amount of water based on the number of occupants living or working there at the time it was installed. If you use more water than what is considered average, or if your household or workforce increases in size, the system is placed under more strain. These, and other factors, will lead to the need for a more frequent pump schedule.
Another consideration for homes and businesses with a more than average water usage is the effect that the extra water has on the bacteria within the tank, especially when detergent, chemicals and cleaners are flushed through the system. These chemical and extra water can kill the bacteria cultures within the tank that are supposed to be there, eating and breaking down the waste. Without the bacteria, the tank will not function, and it is only a matter of time when it will fail.
2. Improper Design: Your system was designed based on the percolation rates, types of soil layers, size of the household and possibly a few other less common factors. In addition, each state has minimum regulations and standards that have to be met.
Some companies don’t adequately train their technicians, and the home or business owner wants to cut costs, so they install under-sized drain fields, ground water drainage and/or septic tanks. Any under-sizing, improper installation or otherwise will lead to system failure. Everyone should have their percolation tests performed by a trained and licensed Sewage Enforcement Officer.
Problems will probably be apparent long before an actual backup occurs. Slow or clogged pipes with the home or business will be among the first signs when improper sizing was done.
3. Installation Failures: The most important part of installing a septic system is hiring a trained, experienced professional install your system. The first step is to have the ground tests performed correctly by a licensed SEO.
Unfortunately, many people hire companies that don’t fully understand what they are doing. Some of the most common mistakes that unqualified technicians make are spacing the distribution lines unevenly, not placing the lines on the right grade, choosing the wrong size tank, using the wrong size lines, improper joints and wrong connections. Any of these issues can lead to what is called a hydraulic overload.
How can I extend the life of my system?
You can extend the life of you system through proper maintenance and regular pumping. For added protection of your system, you have the option of including a septic filter to your system. The septic filter will help your system run more efficiently while preventing most clogging problems from occurring in the first place.
The filter system is comprised of a unit with a filter cartridge which can be installed outside of the tank on new or existing systems. The cartridge contains a mesh material with many tiny holes that filter the scum and lighter waste materials. The waste materials are trapped in filter, and the cleaner water is sent to the drain field. You will have a less build-up and an overall safer environment by allowing fewer solids to escape into the drain field. This also helps extend the life of your overall system.
How to Keep a Healthy System
By controlling what you put into your system, and not allowing objects such as paper towels and feminine products to enter the system, as well as too many chemicals, you can protect your system’s integrity and performance.
Remember to conserve water. You can flush untreated solids into the drain field if you use an excessive amount of water in a short period of time.
Simple things can help a lot. For example, remember to turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth, space out when you wash your clothes and take showers, repair faucet leaks and dripping valves, consider replacing old toilets that use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush, and so forth.
Keep Your Drains Clean. Remember that a septic system is a natural biological process, so only biodegradable waste should go into it.
Things to avoid from introducing into your septic system:
- cigarette butts
- tissues
- sanitary napkins
- disposable diapers
- cat box litter
- coffee grounds
- cotton swabs
- paints
- oils (motor or cooking, both are harmful)
- chemical drain cleaners
- thinners
- solvents
- poisons or pesticides
- grease
- baby wipes
If it is not biodegradable, it shouldn’t go into the system.
Remember, not only is it bad for the environment and could contaminate groundwater, but chemicals will also kill the helpful bacteria in your septic system, and things like grease will harden your septic’s scum layer and clog the pores in your soil.
It is important to realize that bacteria are already present in your tank, by the billions. Don’t waste your money on commercial additives that claim to boost the bacteria count or extend septic system life.
Divert down-spouts, roof drainage, driveway runoff and sump pump discharge away from the leach field, and landscape your yard to channel rainwater away.
Growing grass over the septic system will prevent soil erosion. Plant beneficial trees, such as pine, near the leach field to absorb water, but also remember to keep the trees far enough away from the system so they don’t cause damage.
Grease Tank Cleaning
We provide regular maintenance schedules for pumping and cleaning your grease tanks. We arrive in clean modern trucks and use state-of-the-art equipment such as high pressure water jetting. We provide 24 hour emergency service when those unexpected problems arise.
Car Wash Tank Cleaning
The waste produced by car washes is often difficult to haul, treat and dispose of. Most companies prefer not to haul the waste due to the high costs involved to collect and treat it. Treatment alone is a very complicated and time-consuming process for many haulers. M&S has tilt-back trucks, jetting equipment to clean the trucks, and an on-site treatment facility which makes it easier to service car wash customers. M&S will haul and dispose of your car wash waste professionally and legally.
Although the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) prohibits car wash waste from being spread or dumped on fields and in other unauthorized areas, illegal and unauthorized dumping does occur and the legal ramifications are stringent. The facility generating the waste is ultimately responsible for that waste. It is important to hire a licensed hauler for your needs.
Commercial Waste & Government Regulations
Your disposal manifest should be retained in your files as the generator.
Our permit conditions allow us to handle and process food processing waste, tank bottoms, petroleum derived oily sludge, industrial sludge and sediment. All wastes are predetermined non-hazardous prior to acceptance, and we analyze waste streams on a regular basis using an outside laboratory. The oily sludge and sediment is treated and processed and transported to another local DEP approved landfill for proper disposal. We work within our own developed network of disposal sites and landfills to insure that all load destinations are legal and permitted.
M&S offers peace of mind in knowing that we handle your waste safely and legally. The Department of Environmental Protection permits us to process septic and wastewater solids on-site where the cleaned processed water and other resulted product as bio-solids are "recycled" back into the environment. The processed bio-solids are spread on nearby farm fields that are used by local farms to grow crops. We have secured permits for each farm that land applies the bio-solids.
