As much as we might not want to think about it, the water from our sinks and toilets has to go somewhere. In most cities, the liquid drains into a municipal sewer system. However, in more rural locations outside of Grand Rapids, the standard solution is a septic tank system. A septic tank works by using household wastewater that drains and eventually evaporates in a nearby drain field while any material that falls to the bottom of the tank gets dissolved by bacteria. As more water comes in, it forces the old water onto the field for dissolution.
Prior to 1992, tanks had no screen or baffle installed to make sure floating material didn’t drain out to a leech field area. A common problem would be blockage of the drain line, backing up the water and material back to a home. After 1992, a baffle was added to ensure liquid flow and blocked material passage. The addition of this screening reduced many problems, but regular pump outs of a septic tank are still needed to lower the content sludge level.
Drain or leech fields are the underground areas containing a network of pipes from the septic tank. The water pushed out of the tank goes into the drain pipe, causing the water to spread and evaporate. If the drain pipe or fiber piping gets plugged, that can stop up the tank system, eventually leading to tank system failure.