Five Differences Between Sewer and Septic Systems

Those who have always lived on city water often have no idea how a septic system works, or about anything related to septic system features in Cleveland, TX. As there are many homes still on septic systems, it is likely that, at some point, you will have to manage one. This makes it important to know how they work and what they need to function properly. Here are five differences between septic and sewer systems:

• Waste disposal: When you flush the toilet or pour something down the drain, it all disappears somewhere. If you are on city water, waste is transported to a waste treatment facility. Septic is less “out of sight, out of mind” because waste deposits to a tank on your own land! However, it does not merely sit there. Bacteria breaks down the waste and distributes it harmlessly through the soil, which is how it eventually disappears. In a sewer system, the waste treatment facility removes the hazardous elements until it is all broken down to water. Once finished, it is released into local water systems.
• Cost: Those of us on city water are familiar with the associated monthly bills. Depending on where you live, water and sewer may be billed separately or together at different intervals. This is the price you pay for the more removed approach. With septic, your costs are for maintenance and service, not for water and waste treatment. You trade in a monthly use bill for a larger maintenance bill every few years. With regular maintenance, septic systems are much more economical cost-wise.
• Maintenance: When you are on the city sewer lines, you rarely have to think about maintenance beyond your home’s plumbing issues. Any issues with sewer systems are up to the city to handle. Maintenance for septic systems all falls on you, but with no other bills associated with it, many homeowners find this manageable. Septic systems require pumping and line clearing according to a schedule based on your use patterns and the size of your household.
• Impacts of failure: Both systems are designed and built by humans, so they are not infallible, but the impacts of a septic system failure are closer to home. If flushing toxic chemicals kills bacteria and waste does not break down, your tank could breach and cause a dangerous and smelly problem right in your yard. Sewer facility failures happen, but they do so further from home. You may experience a momentary outage, but it is unlikely you will suddenly have a sewage field in your backyard. If you do, the city fixes it, rather than your septic professional.
• Benefits: Both types of system have their benefits, and it often comes down to a homeowner’s preferences. If frequent travel or busy lifestyles make constant consideration of your home’s conditions a burden, you will likely prefer remaining on a sewer system. You do not have to think much about it other than paying a monthly bill. Those who prefer to avoid monthly bills and do not mind scheduling regular maintenance may prefer a septic system.

Septic systems work well, and if taken care of regularly, they may actually save you money. Whether this is your first septic system or you have lived on septic your entire life, All Pro Septic will happily teach you about septic system features in Cleveland, TX. Contact us today to schedule service or repair.

Categorised in: Septic System Maintenance