Using enzymes for septic tanks can be a great way to keep your tank and system working properly. The whole goal in system maintenance is preventing drain field failure, and the best tool to accomplish this goal is the septic tank. It’s little more than a concrete or plastic tank inside the ground but is indispensable for protecting the drain field.
The Septic Tank’s Purpose
The tank captures raw sewage from the house and provides a place where heavier particles (called sludge) settle to the bottom, while grease, fat, oil, and light particles (called scum) float to the top. This separation is the first step in naturally treating the water so that it can reenter the environment. The tank contains a pipe that opens under the water’s surface so that as the water rises, only effluent (wastewater) not scum can exit.
It also serves as a habitat for anaerobic bacteria that breakdown the sludge at the bottom of the tank. This natural process helps keep the sludge level from rising too quickly. Most problems in the system occur when sludge and scum levels grow too quickly decreasing the volume inside the tank.
Retention Time
A key metric of septic tanks is called retention time, referring to the amount of time waste spends inside before exiting. As sludge levels grow and the volume inside decrease, retention time also decreases leading to incomplete settling of scum and sludge. The small pipes and soil in the drain field are only able to absorb and treat water contaminated with microscopic organisms; any larger particles in the water will cause clogging and loss of absorption efficiency.
In some cases, clogging of the drainfield can permanently ruin the soil necessitating the digging of a completely new field, or if there’s not another suitable location on the property, the only solution might be an expensive alternate system like mound or aerobic. The EPA estimates that the cost for completely removing and replacing a failed drain field can run from $6,000 to over $20,000. The most important tips for maintaining the drain field are pumping on a regular basis, installing a lint filter on the washing machine, and remembering not to put harsh chemicals down the drain (because they kill your helpful bacteria).
Why Enzymes?
The enzymes for septic tanks are some of the same found inside the human body that break down substances like fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc. The goal of enzymes is the reduce the sludge level inside the tank and/or break down organic residue that has already traveled into the distribution pipes and drain field.
Types
- Cellulase: breaks down cellulose, the main component in plant cell walls
- Lipase: breaks down fats and oils
- Amylase: breaks down complex carbohydrates
- Protease: breaks down proteins
There’s little scientific evidence to show these enzymes are effective; however, I’ve heard anecdotal evidence that they do seem to help. Of course, it’s hard to tell if the info is biased or not.
Products Containing Enzymes