Sewers

What is the difference between a septic sewer system and public sewer service?

Does a septic system need to get pumped out? What other types of sewer systems are there and which is best?

Public Comments

1. Public is connected to the public sewer out at the street. A septic tank is self contained and needs to be pumped every 4 or 5 years or so. It is not connected to the public sewer system. It has fill lines that drain liquids and the solids have to be pumped. A step system is a septic tank with no fill lines that is connected to the public sewer system. It too has to be pumped every few years. The reason for doing this (and it is becoming more and more popular in areas with a large growth rate) is so that the public systems don't have to be upgraded. None is really better than the other. In most areas, even if you have a septic tank, if public lines runs adjacent to your property, you have to pay the public sewer charge. I have a step system. So far, no problems. I do pay the public septic rate, but the city is responsible for the cost of pumping the tank as well as the cost of any maintenance that it may require.
2. Yes they do.
3. If you live out in the country you will most likely have a septic system. If you live in the city you will most likely have city sewer. A septic holds, breaks down and drains the waste from your home's drainage system. sinks, toilets, tubs and showers... In the city everybody's sewage goes to one place and the same process, as the septic system, takes place only on a much larger scale.
4. A septic system is an underground tank with pipes coming out to return the water and other stuff to the ground this is called a leech field the tank may occasionally need to be pumped out, but usually last for years if you add bacteria once a month. A public sewer system is a pipe that goes from your house down the street and eventually ends up at a water treatment plant many miles away. There is also another system that uses fans and aerators to process the waste. Septic systems are normally used in rural areas where there is no sewer system and sewer systems are usually used in suburban and urban areas were there isn't enough room for a leech field.
5. With a 'public sewer service' your waste is drained away to a treatment facility, where it is run through several steps to bio-degrade the solids, and otherwise clean it up, then it is allowed to drain off into a nearby waterway. With a private septic system (which usually means a tank and a drain field), its all right there under your yard. This is a pretty common set up in rural areas. Building/health codes mandate how far away the tank has to be from the water source for the home (in a rural setting, this usually means a private well), and how big the drain field has to be. This will vary from region to region, because of the different types of soil (some soil drains better than others). In many cases, if you had to have a new tank installed, you would have to meet the current code requirements -- regardless of where the old tank was actually placed, or how big it, or the drain field was. I've seen a case or two, where the lot size was too small, to meet the existing code requirements, lol. If a home has this type of septic system, using a product called Rid-X once a month helps maintain the necessary bacteria inside the tank, to 'eat' the solid wastes, and break them down into liquid, so they will flow out through the drain field pipes. A typical box of Rid-X will treat a septic tank of up to 1500 gallons. You can find Rid-X at most hardware stores, in the plumbing section. Another type of septic system, and this is more common for industrial purposes, or a block or two of houses in a rural area, is a miniature version of the public sewer system, and the utility company will come and pump out the holding tank every week or two -- you'd have a monthly bill for this type of system. I had our septic tank and drain field replaced about 8 years ago, and have used the Rid-X on a regular basis, and have not had to have the tank pumped out. If there has been a flood, or the system has not been maintained, then the tank may need to be pumped out. You should be able to find a clean-out pipe in the yard, over the tank. It will be a white plastic pipe, with a cap on it, about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. It may be cut off close to the ground. Some folks will put a landscape item over it (like a birdbath), to keep from hitting it with a lawn mower, hehehe. One of the first signs that a tank needs to be pumped, is the waste will back up into the yard, through that clean out pipe. Hope this helped. Good Luck
6. About 20 grand to start with. I would go with city if possible.
7. There are two types of drainage Mains and private. If your home is not connected to the main sewer you have private drainage. Private drainage can broadly be divided into 2 categories: Cesspits and septic tanks. A classic septic tank is like a mini sewage treatment works that serves one or a number of properties. Effluent flows into the tank and relatively pure water drains out at the other end. If properly maintained the tank does not usually need to be empties although using non biodegradeable cleaning products and detergents can interupt the process and cause problems. Old septic tanks are usually made of brick; the new ones are made of plastic. There are a number of products like the Klargester on the market which claim various advantages to the classic septic tank. A cesspit is a big underground container that fills up with effluent and must be emptied usually once or twice a year depending on size and usage. Septic tanks and their modern varients are preferable to cesspits from an environmental point of view so long as they are well maintained. A leaking tank will cause contamination to ground water. Hope this helps.