What is the primary purpose of a septic tank?

The primary purpose of a septic tank is to hold and treat sewage. Septic tanks play a crucial role in on-site wastewater management systems, especially in areas where connection to a municipal sewer system is not available.

When wastewater from the household flows into the septic tank, it is held there for a period of time, allowing solids to settle at the bottom, forming a sludge layer. Lighter materials, such as grease and oils, float to the top, creating a scum layer. The septic tank allows for the anaerobic digestion of solids by bacteria, which helps to break down the waste. This process reduces the volume of solids and stabilizes the organic material, making the effluent that eventually exits the tank less harmful and easier to treat or disperse into the surrounding soil through a drainage field.

Filtration of water, while part of the overall wastewater treatment process, is not the primary function of the septic tank itself; it occurs more significantly in the soil dispersal system. Storing drinking water is outside the scope of a septic tank's design and function, as it is only concerned with wastewater. Additionally, while septic systems can help in removing some contaminants from wastewater, the primary function is not specifically to remove heavy metals, which would require