Underground Takeaways, Te Aroha

A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations. (Other components, typically mandated and/or restricted by local governments, optionally include pumps, alarms, sand filters, and clarified liquid effluent disposal means such as a soakage line (septic drain field), ponds, natural stone fibre filter plants or peat moss beds.) Septic systems are a type of On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF). In New Zealand approximately 20% of the population relies on septic tanks; this can include suburbs and small towns as well as rural areas
The term "septic" refers to the anaerobic bacterial environment that develops in the tank and which decomposes or mineralizes the waste discharged into the tank. With the increase of disinfectant cleaners using strong antibacterial properties as a convenient & quick method of sanitising home surfaces, all of which end up in the septic tank, the required anaerobic bacterial environment is compromised & the decomposition is reduced.
Periodic preventive maintenance is required to remove the irreducible solids which settle and gradually fill the tank, reducing its efficiency. In most jurisdictions this maintenance is required by law, yet often not enforced. Those who ignore the requirement will eventually be faced with extremely costly repairs when solids escape the tank and destroy the soakage line (clarified liquid effluent) disposal means. A properly maintained system, on the other hand, can last for decades and possibly a lifetime.