Septic tank

A septic tank is the simplest form of wastewater treatment for individual homes.

It consists of a container in which to settle the unresolved portions of the wastewater. The supernatant water is either regularly sucked by a vacuum truck, discharged into a body of water or seeps.

Prior to 1990, many small East German cities was the sewage or septic tank a common form of wastewater treatment.

In recent decades, the possible connection of all land to the public sewer is sought in many places because the public sewage treatment plants usually allow a more thorough wastewater treatment. Also can endanger the groundwater leaking or poorly maintained septic tanks. Septic tanks are therefore found growing only in individual buildings located outside urban areas, where the construction of a separate duct connection would be too costly or topographical reasons it is not possible.

More complicated septic tanks consist of three chambers. In a well maintained, modern three-chamber septic tank, the wastewater is anaerobically digested. Therefore, do not find feces and toilet paper remnants; these pits can keep in their cleaning performance with almost small sewage treatment plants, except for the nitrate content of the treated wastewater.

A special form of the septic tank, the septic tank. Colloquially, no distinction is made between the two.

No septic tanks are liquid manure or slurry pits, which are used only for the storage of liquid manure or slurry.

• Wastewater treatment