Ever wondered why your septic tank i.e. (soakaway) gets filled quicker than you realize? In some instances based on location, some septic tanks get evacuated every other month. That’s because a total evacuation wasn’t done and in most cases, what is usually done is a partial evacuation (only the removal of the liquid waste).
Let me explain. When soil waste from the toilet bowl is flushed down the toilet into the septic tank (soakaway), based on mass and density, the soil waste settles at the base of the septic tank, leaving the liquid waste to gather on top of the soil waste.
So when a partial evacuation is done, they (sewage people) take out only the liquid waste, thereby leaving the solid waste at the base of your septic tank. It pays them to do this. Why? After the liquid waste has been evacuated from the septic tank (partial evacuation) and then the septic tank is sealed up for use.
Note that as the solid waste is continuously injected into the septic tank, more and more of the solid waste will continue to gather at the base of the septic tank, leaving less space for the liquid at the top and this process becomes a vicious cycle. I hope you get the logic.
Hence, they prefer to do a partial evacuation to a total evacuation because they know if they do the former, they’ll get frequent calls from you to come to evacuate which means more money in their pocket, it’s logical.
So, next time you call the sewage people to come to evacuate, negotiate for a total evacuation (both the solid waste and the liquid waste). It might cost you more but in the long run, it pays. Let’s not be penny wise and pound foolish.
