In this article we will discuss how plastics and nylons from laundry water can clog a drain field. Doing laundry on a daily basis is one heavy task that plagues not only homeowners but also septic experts. Laundry water could contain many things such as sediments, chemicals, and non-biodegradable materials such as plastics and nylons. It is no secret that technology has enabled various fabrics to have plastic and nylons as components. These make many garments more flexible and durable yet the fact remains that plastics in general are not good for septic systems. The septic system is a wastewater treatment system that is designed and constructed specifically for your household’s wastewater needs. Your household members influence the amount of wastewater that the septic system has to treat. This involves both greywater and blackwater.
Greywater is wastewater that comes from your showers, drains, dishwasher, and washing machine. It does not have any trace of human waste. Blackwater is wastewater that comes from your toilets. It contains human waste. If you do not have a dry well or a greywater system in your property, both greywater and blackwater are taken in by your septic system. This means that everything in the wastewater enters the system. Normally, the organic solid waste particles are broken down by the resident anaerobic bacteria. The septic tank would them contain the lightweight scum, the clear effluent, and the thick sludge layers. The clear effluent is then good to flow towards the drain field to be purified further before it is released into the environment.
Plastics and nylons are non-biodegradable materials that invade the septic system through various passageways such as toilets, drains, and even the toilets. These substances also make it to the drain field by means of laundry water mainly because they are used as part of fabrics. As garments are placed in the washing machine, it is subjected to various twists and turns that loosen up the fibers including those that are made of plastic. These plastic fibers enter the septic system and stay as they are because they cannot be broken down by the bacteria anymore. The fibers stay in the tank and accumulate. Eventually, they are pushed into the drain field. Once plastic fibers make it into the drain field, the entire system becomes clogged. If the problem is not addressed or prevented, system failure will ensue. You should know how plastics and nylons from laundry water can clog a drain field so that you could save yourself from extreme costs on repairs and replacements.
The moment plastics and nylons enter the septic system, the drain field is doomed to fail. This will result to septic backups, overflows, and flooding. Your household’s health and sanitation will definitely be affected if the untreated wastewater backs up into your property. To prevent the accumulation of plastics and nylons in your septic system, you should talk to your septic expert about installing additional filters in the inflow and outflow pipes of the system. This way, the plastic and nylon fibers will not enter the septic tank and the drain field anymore. You could also install a dry well or a greywater system that will treat the laundry water so that it could be recycled for toilet flushing and lawn irrigation. Filters should also be installed in the greywater system to prevent any form of clogging.
Being environmentally conscious is an admirable trait amongst homeowners. The modern day green revolution is an effective means to keep the household and the environment safe. Segregation of garbage is a practice that should be extended to septic system care. By adding helpful filters in your septic system, plastics and nylons will never cause problems in the drain field. Be sure to use gentle, environment friendly detergents so that the fibers of fabrics will not loosen up and fill the greywater discharged by the washing machine. Knowing how plastics and nylons in laundry water can clog a drain field will definitely benefit your household and the surrounding environment.