Getting rid of septic tank odors is easier said than done. Septic tanks, drain fields, cesspits, cesspools are basically all the same type of system. They are all used to treat household waste, usually in rural areas of the country where city sewer is not accessible.
This article is written to help the reader address septic system odors and to give the reader a few ideas on ways to treat septic odors and smells when they become apparent to the home owner.
Typically septic system odors come from lack of the bacterium that creates the enzymes essential to the digestion process of solids in the septic tank and leaching area. This bacterium is a natural occurring bacterium that is created by human body waste, fats oils and greases that typically wind up in your septic tank. The bacteria and enzyme digest and reduce this matter down into an effluent that is leached back into the earth filtered, returning to the water table to be pumped to the surface and used again in our homes and work place.
Beneficial bacterial additives play an important role in the digestion process. As we consume more and more anti bacterial products, our septic systems are dying off, causing the digestion process to fail causing septic odors and a buildup of bio-mat in the leaching areas of our septic systems. Some systems can be fitted with effluent filters filtering out the solids that may not get digested as a result of the lack of digestion. This can help by reducing the amount of solids that flow into the septic area and odor build up.
Bacteria enzyme additives have been around for many years being used in waste water treatment plants all over the world. The beneficial bacterial and enzyme additives are now more and more being accepted as a septic tank maintenance treatment used to control buildup of septic odors, sludge and solids.