Septic System Problems

As a septic system owner you are responsible for ensuring that your septic system is safe and working properly.

A failing septic system is a health risk for your family and the community and may be causing harm to the environment.

Absorption field: a designated area where effluent is released into the soil. Soil processes, natural organisms and plants in the absorption field further purify the effluent before it enters the wider environment.

Effluent: liquid discharged from a septic system or sewage treatment facility. Greywater: (sullage), wastewater from domestic laundry and ablution areas (and sometimes kitchen sinks), but not from toilets or bidets (‘blackwater').

Septic system: any kind of sewage management system that stores, treats or discharges sewage on or adjacent to the premises on which it was generated. Sewage: the waste matter from premises normally discharged to a sewer.