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SEPTICTANK

JoseMaillette OlofNilsson TianjiaoQian

1THEIDEABEHINDTHETECHNOLOGY
The septic tank is a system where a tank of some material, typical concrete or fiberglass, is buried in the ground. The use of septic tanks is wide spread and in the U.S around 25 percent uses a system with a septic tank (Seabloom, Bounds, Loudon 2004). The idea of the septic tank is that the waste water enters the tank where big particles then can settle and the grease can form a scum that float on the water, this is shown in Figure 1. The water can after a certain time leave the tank but the sludge and scum remain in the tank. The typical septic tank system is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 1: Sludge and scum on top of the water (Seabloom, Bounds, Loudon 2004 )

Figure2:Typicalhouseholdwithaseptictank(Seabloom,Bounds,Loudon2004)

Other processes then just settling are taking place in the tank. Digestion of suspended solids and a removing process that takes care of bacteria are two other processes. The bacteria removing processes can both be aerobic and anaerobic. In a well functioning septic tank system a removal of 50 -60 percent of BOD and up to 70-80 percent of suspended solids is possible (Seabloom, Bounds, Loudon 2004 ).

2 BASIC FUNCTIONS
Thenextsectionistogiveyouthefunctionsofaseptictank,eitherphysical,chemical andbiological.

2.1PHYSICAL
The aim of a septic tank is to separate the solid wastes from the water so it is clean enough to go the next treatment facility. The heavy wastes settle to the bottom (sludge) and the lighter ones float to the surface (surface scum). And between the sediment and the surface scum, there is the thus cleaned water, although not completely treated. The inlet and outlet baffle are often in shape of T: the water must not disturb either the scum or the sludge when entering the tank and must not exit with parts of the scum. Figure 3 shows a typical septic tank.


Figure 3: Typical septic tank.

Including a slope at the bottom of the tank is a good way to avoid clogging the entrance. Most of the sludge will deposit at the entrance of the tank. A slope of -25 % is recommended to get the sludge slide towards the opposite side of the tank. Also, to avoid a malfunction of the septic tank, there must be inspection accesses and a manhole. A regular maintenance of the tank is required. Fermentation of the sludge produces gas that must be evacuated otherwise they can attack the concrete. A ventilation system must exit the gas and introduce fresh air in the tank.

2.2 CHEMICAL
Usually, there are no chemical processes in a septic tank since no additives are added. But it is possible to add some chemical in septic tanks to precipitate some elements or aqueous residues. Doing this will increase the amount of sludge in the tank and will make it clog faster. The emptying of the tank will have to be more frequent.

2.3 BIOLOGICAL
Wastewater always contains anaerobic bacteria. The sludge in the bottom of the septic tank is partially decomposed by the bacteria. The water between the surface scum and the sludge contains aerobic bacteria but there is no aerobic decomposition in the septic tank. That takes place in the next treatment step.

3GUIDELINES
Thepresentsectionaimstogivemeasurements,maintenanceandinstallationguidelines.

3.1GUIDELINESFORDIMENSIONS
Theseareguidelinesforthedimensioningofthetank.

3.1.1SEPTICTANKCAPACITY
Septic tanks must provide at least 24hour retention. Septic tanks must have access openingsoverinletandoutletbaffles.Accesslocationshouldbemarkedandvisiblefor easyinspection.

3.1.2SEPTICTANKDIMENSIONSINQUBEC(CANADA)
In Qubec, the government gives regulations for wastewater disposal systems for isolateddwellings.SomeofthedimensionsaregiveninTable1.
Table1:MinimaldimensionsofaseptictankinQubec

Insidetotalheight Heightoftheliquid RatioL/W Thicknessoffloor&ceiling Thicknessofthewalls Min.heightbetweeninletand outletpipes

1.5m 1.2m 2 150mm 200mm 75mm

3.1.3SEPTICTANKDIMENSIONSINSWEDEN
Guidelines can be found on the Norrkping website (http://www.norrkoping.se/organisation/malregler/riktlinjer/miljonatur/).

3.1.4SEPTICTANKDIMENSIONSINUSA
In USA, the capacity of the septic tank has guidelines. There are no real guidelines for dimensions. The capacity can be found either by the average sewage wastewater flow (Table2)orthenumberofbedroomsinthehouse(Table3).
Table2:Minimumcapacityofseptictankbasedontheaveragedailyflow

AverageSewage Wastewater FlowGallonsPer Day 0500 601700 801900 10011240 20012500 45015000

AverageSewage Wastewater FlowmPerDay 01.89 2.282.65 3.033.41 3.794.69 7.579.46 17.0418.93

MinimumSepticTank SizeinGallonsof. EffectiveCapacity Needed 900 1200 1500 1900 3200 5800

1gal(USLiq)=3.78541L;1foot=0.3048m
Table3:Minimumcapacityofseptictankbasedonthenumberofbedrooms

Numberof Bedrooms 02 3 4 56

SepticTank Size(Gallons) 750 1000 1200 1500

SepticTank Size(L) 2839 3785 4542 5678

3.2GUIDELINESFORMAINTENANCE
3.2.1DON'TOVERLOADTHESEPTICTANKANDDRAINFIELD

Check faucets and toilets for leaks; make repairs if necessary. Use aerators for faucets and flow reducer nozzles for showers to get a lower water consumption.

Reduce water levels for small laundry loads. Wait until the dishwasher is full and then run it. Use a displacer to reduce the amount of water to flush the toilet.

3.2.2KEEPTREESAWAYFROMTHESEPTICSYSTEM

Discourage root damage by keeping trees at least 30.5 m (100 feet) away from the septic system.

Trees with very aggressive roots, such as willows, should be even farther away from the system.

3.2.3THETOILETISN'TAGARBAGEDISPOSAL

Never flush pet litter, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towels, facial tissues, coffee grounds, or cigarette butts and filters. They'll clog your septic tank in less time than you might imagine.

3.2.4USEGARBAGEDISPOSALSWISELY

Garbage disposals may double the amount of solids added to a septic tank. Choose a top-line disposal that grinds food into tiny particles that are easier for a system to digest.

3.2.5MINIMIZEHEAVYDUTYCLEANERS

Overuse of heavy cleaners kills beneficial bacteria in the septic tank, so solids won't break down as well.

3.2.6AVOIDHAZARDOUSCHEMICALS

Varnish, paint thinners, motor oils, gasoline and other similar chemicals can ruin your system and are a hazard to groundwater. Dispose of them properly.

3.3GUIDELINESFORINSTALLATION
Forselectingasitetoinstalltheseptictank,theseguidelinesshouldbefollowed.

Stay at least 30.5 m (100 feet) from drinking water sources, 15.25 m (50 feet) fromstreamsorpondsand3m(10feet)fromwaterlines. Slopedrainfieldsawayfromhouses,buildingsandthewatersupply. Keepdrainfieldsunshadedandfreefromtreesandshrubbery. Allowsufficientspacetoenlargethedrainfieldifitshouldbecomenecessary. Keepseptictanksordrainfieldsuncoveredbydrivewaysorconcrete.

Locateseptictanksanddrainfieldsawayfromdrainageareasandwaterways. Never use an open flame or matches to inspect a septic tank. Sewer gases may explodeviolently. Besurethatthetankisunderthefrostline.

4DESIGNEXAMPLE
Herearethreewaysofcalculatingthecapacityanddimensionsofseptictanks.

4.1METHODOFTHEWORLDBANK
Where V=Volumeofthetank(L) P=numberofpersons R=Retentiontimeindays(minimumof1day[24hours]) Q=Wastewaterflow(Ld1p1) V=3PRQ (Eq.1)

In that formula, Q is usually between 60 and 200 Ld1p1 depending of the country. We suggest that this formula is used only for poor countries, less developed and where the use of water is a lot less than in Sweden because le factor 3 in the formula gives really big tanks fortheconsumptionthatSwedenhas.

4.2BRITISHMETHOD
V=180P+2000 (Eq.2) Where V=Volumeofthetank(L) P=numberofpersons

4.3CANADIANMETHOD
WithD=PQbetween1900and5700Ld1, Where V=Volumeofthetank(L) P=numberofpersons R=Retentiontimeindays(minimumof1day[24hours]) Q=Wastewaterflow(Ld1p1) V=1500D (Eq.3)

WithD=PQbetween5700and34200Ld1, V=4300+750D (Eq.4)

Over34200Ld1,theCanadianmethodsuggesthavingmorethanoneseptictank.

4.4CHOOSINGAMETHOD
Thereweremanywaysofcalculatingthecapacitypresented.InSweden,wesuggestthatthe British method is used since the way of living is more similar than with Canada. But the Canadian method is still good. We do not recommend using the World Bank method since theresultsareallytoobig.

4.5DESIGNEXAMPLE
WewilldoadesignexamplewiththeBritishmethod. Assumeahouseof2adultsand3childrenwithauseof200Ld1p1.Weuseequation2. V=180P+2000 V=1805persons+2000 V=2900L=2.9m Weneedacapacityof2.9m.Theheightoftheliquidis1.2mandtheheightofthetankis 1.5m.TheratioL/Wis2,soW=L/2.Thevolumeofthetankis V=HLW Where V=Volumeofthetank(m) H=Heightoftheliquid L=Lengthoftheinteriorofthetank W=Widthoftheinteriorofthetank 2.9m=1.2mLL/2 2.9m=1.2mL/2 L=2.2m W=1.1m

5STRENGTHSANDWEAKNESSESOFTHETECHNOLOGY
Somestrengthswiththeseptictanksystemarethatitisusedinmanyplaces,25percent of the U.S households have a septic tank. It has a long life time if it is maintained

correctly.Atankmadeoffiberglasscanhavealifetimeof50years.Theseptictankonly hastobeemptiedevery35yearifitisproperlydesigned.Itremovesbothsuspended solidsandBOD(Seabloom,Bounds,Loudon2004). Howevertherearesomeweaknesseswiththeseptictanksystem.Ifitisdesignedpoorly ithastobeemptiedmorefrequentlythanitissupposedto.Theeffluentwaterisnotas cleanaswaterfromamunicipaltreatmentplant.Itmaycontainhighconcentrationsof pathogeneseswhichmeansthatfurthertreatmentisneededbeforethewaterleavesthe treatment system. The after treatment can for example be absorption fields that are showninfigure2.Onegasthatisproducedintheseptictankismethanegas.Methane has a negative effect on the climate, since it is a greenhouse gas (Seabloom, Bounds, Loudon2004).

6REFERENCES
SeabloomR,BoundsT,LoudonT,2004,SepticTanks,UniversityCurriculum DevelopmentforDecentralizedWastewaterManagement,
http://www.onsiteconsortium.org/ed_curriculum/University/IV.%20B.%20Septic%20Tanks/U niversity_Septic_Tanks_Text.pdf(20110205) http://homebuying.about.com/cs/septicsystems/a/septic_care.htm http://www.pcany.org/prods/INSTALLATION_GUIDE_1206.pdf http://www.snowdenonsite.com/WK50/septic_tank_design.php

http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=3 &file=/Q_2/Q2R22_A.htm http://www.inspectapedia.com/septic/tanksize.htm http://www.oieau.fr/ReFEA/fiches/FossesSeptiques/FSmethodesDimensionnement8.p df http://www.norrkoping.se/organisation/pdf/mal regler/riktlinjer/miljonatur/Riktlinjer_enskilda_avlopp.pdf(Swedishguidelines,Feb 18,2011)

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