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For all of your wastewater treatment needs trust Anderson Bros. We offer superior products backed by our team of experts and the highest degree of service with 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed. For water treatment and excellent service trust Anderson Bros. Electric, Plumbing & Heating Inc.

Residential On-site Wastewater Treatment What Does a Wastewater Treatment System Do? A properly designed, sized installed and maintained on-site wastewater treatment system should safely remove and treat wastewater from a home. Untreated or improperly treated wastewater is a risk to people through direct contact with sewage, or animals (flies, dogs, cats, etc.) that have been in direct contact with sewage. Also, untreated or improperly treated wastewater is a threat to human health and the environment when it pollutes surface water or groundwater. What are the Components of an On-site Wastewater Treatment System? All on-site wastewater treatment systems must perform the same basic functions. They must collect wastewater from the home and treat it to break down organic material, destroy pathogens and absorb nutrients. A typical system consists of plumbing in the home to collect wastewater and send it to a septic tank, where treatment begins. From there, the partially treated wastewater, called effluent, travels to an effluent treatment system. Further treatment occurs and the wastewater is released to the environment. Septic Tank/Drainfield The most common type of on-site wastewater treatment system is a septic tank and drainfield, also called the leach field, seepage bed, or absorption field. When site conditions allow, this is often the most economical method available. Wastewater flows through the plumbing from the home into a watertight septic tank, which acts as a settling area for the wastewater. Heavy materials settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. Water, other liquids and suspended solids are found above the sludge. Soaps and grease form a floating scum layer. This physical separation of sludge, liquids with suspended solids, and scum is called primary treatment. Bacteria naturally occur in sewage entering the septic tank. They begin to break down organic materials in the wastewater under anaerobic conditions (without oxygen). The settling and bacterial breakdown that occur in the tank prepare wastewater for final treatment in the soil. Wastewater from the septic tank, called effluent, travels through a pipe to the drainfield. The drainfield is a trench often filled with gravel, topped with soil. Effluent moves through spaces in the gravel and enters the soil, where millions of naturally occurring microorganisms kill some pathogens. The soil helps tie up viruses and some nutrients, such as phosphorous, before the effluent reaches groundwater. Nitrate, another nutrient found in effluent, is water soluble; effluent and precipitation movement will carry some through the soil. The type and

ANDERSON BROS. Electric, Plumbing & Heating Inc.     • KEARNEY, NE (308) 236-6437     • HOLDREGE, NE (308) 995-4481