You’ll probably encounter septic tanks when looking for a home in the Northeast of India. Buying a home with a septic tank can be a little unsettling if you’ve always had access to the city sewage system.
But don’t worry; if you know what to expect, a home with a septic system doesn’t have to be expensive or drastically alter your life.
Septic tanks collect wastewater from houses and treat human waste and separate solids and liquids from the effluent. The liquid portion of the waste is disposed of through a drain field where natural filtering takes place in the soil. They are unquestionably necessary for people who live too far away or in rural areas without access to municipal sewage systems.
Northeast India is a hilly region which faces frequent rainfalls and harsh winters. The towns and rural areas in this hilly region rely on septic tanks because they are not connected to the municipal sewer system. Septic tanks play an important role in this region as they have individual housing systems like bungalows, kacha-makans, and 3 to 4-storey buildings. They have their traditional housing systems in their respective states. The most famous Ikra housing style consists of wood and bamboo. The Chang housing systems are made of timber and bamboo in the valley regions. Mud and bamboo houses can also be found in rural areas. Since Northeast India is a tourist attraction, even the hotels and lounges use a septic system to manage sewage.
It’s crucial to comprehend how septic tanks function before you pick up the keys and move into your new house. This will help you make a more informed decision as a home buyer.
Here’s everything you need to know before buying a house with a septic tank.
Understanding the septic system
Understanding how your septic tank works allow you to understand its needs better. Septic tanks are underground systems. The wastewater from your toilets, washing machines, sinks, and showers drains into your septic tank via pipes. Knowing how your septic tank works can alert you to any problems such as overflow, foul odour or backflow into your homes or repairs like septic tank replacement and drain pipes leakage that is required.
Dos and don’ts while you have a septic tank at home.
Because septic tanks handle all household waste, whether laundry, kitchen, or bathroom, you must ensure that only toilet paper is flushed down the drain. Razor blades, cotton balls, feminine products, and tissues should not be flushed because they clog drain pipes and choke septic tanks. This clogging can cause septic tank failure, resulting in backflow into your home and a foul odour. However, not only do the wrong things clog your drain pipes but doing excess laundry also has an impact on your septic tank because the chemicals affect the microbes in the tank, causing the septic tank to malfunction. To avoid this issue, you must be mindful of what goes into your septic tank.
Septic Tanks Require Regular Maintenance.
Just like any other device or system, your septic tank also needs maintenance so that it can treat the wastewater without causing any other problems. If your septic tank malfunctions, it can lead to financial problems like a replacement of the septic tank or drain field repairs. It is also critical for your tank to function properly because you do not want sewage backing up in your home and a foul odour present throughout. As a result, septic tank maintenance is essential. In our recent blog, we discussed how simple it is to manage your septic system. Septic tank maintenance can help you reduce health risks and foul odours, save money, and protect the environment.
Get a septic system inspected before moving in.
Before moving into your new home, it is advisable to request the previous owner for a septic system inspection. This helps to identify septic system and drain field conditions. This also helps in getting clarity from a financial standpoint. It helps identify any repairs like leaks in drain pipes or drain field replacement in the septic tank. So before you move in, have your septic system inspected by the previous owner.
Conclusion
As the housing system is not well developed compared to other urban cities, they rely solely on septic tanks, and their maintenance is significant to their homes. Septic system inspection and information regarding its maintenance are musts.
The climate in the Northeast is usually cold as it is a hilly terrain, one must ensure that the septic tank is appropriately maintained in cold weather, as there are chances that the microbes in the tank can become dormant and cause the septic tank to malfunction. For example, when the wastewater enters the septic tank, the chemicals eliminate the microbes which are required to break down sludge, or because of low temperatures, microbes stop functioning which causes backflow of sludge in your homes.
Relying on other septic tank additives is also harmful as they contain chemicals that do not resolve the issue but instead end up eliminating the microbes responsible for degrading the organic matter.
To keep the septic system healthy, our experts at Organica Biotech developed Bioclean Septic, a natural solution with a winter-resistant formula that keeps your septic tank operational even in freezing temperatures. Our microbial wonder works better than chemical cleaners that are available in the market. Bioclean Septic contains natural ingredients that promote the growth of microbes inside the septic tank, which helps your septic tank to function smoothly. Check out our products and reach out to us if you’re looking for permanent septic tank solutions.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Ms. Rakhee Makhija is Marketing Manager at Organica Biotech, with over 7 years of experience building brands across various industries. She is passionate about protecting the environment to create a better future.
