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SUGGESTIONS FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF SEPTIC TANKS <br />WHAT IS IN MY BACKYARD AND HOW DOES IT WORK? <br />Most houses built in Orono after 1460, where city sewer is not <br />available, have two septic tanks, one or more distribution boxes <br />and a number of drainfield trenches. In the septic tanks, heavy <br />sewage solids will settle to the bottom and be decomposed by <br />anaerobic (oxygen -free) bacterial action. Floating solids such <br />as grease, fat, and :oap scum will be retained inside the tank <br />by baffles at the inlet and outlet. In many cases, the first <br />tank will retain most of the solids and the second tank merely <br />provides extra settling time. This ensures that'the effluent <br />entering the drainfield is relatively free of solids which tend <br />to clog up clay soils. <br />TYPICAL SEPTIC SYSTEM <br />►iA5 EM ENy <br />Floating r= ��19 T r., -_� -. _.T -.� �.- -., <br />Solids a <br />Sludge Distribution Box Lrainfield <br />WHY BOTHER WITH PREVENTIVF MAINTENANCE? <br />Eventually, a septic tank that is functioning rnrrectly will accumulate <br />a large quantity of sludge (decomposed wastes) and floating solids. <br />If this accumulation is not removed regularly, the solids will by-pass <br />the baffles in the tank and will ;)e flushed out into the drainfield <br />causing premature and unnecessary clogging of the drainfield. The <br />result: sewage will ba(-k up into your house and;or form a puddle <br />(or river) jin your yard. THERE ARE NO INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO R.PAIR A <br />CLOGGED DRAINFIELD, <br />