HOW OFTEN IS SERVICE REQUIRED?
Although there is no set answer, the Suffolk County Department of health recommends cleaning the system every three to five years to prevent the septic tank from becoming overburdened with sludge and scum which will then flow out into the cesspool. If enough of these solids find their way into the cesspool, it will eventually become clogged and fail to function. For older systems without septic tanks (cesspool only), more frequent service is usually necessary.
AAA Apex Cesspool Sewer & Drain Cleaning Svc
19 Longshore St,
Bay Shore, NY 11706
(631) 667-2112
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CESSPOOL AND A SEPTIC TANK?
A septic tank is a chamber through which all wastewater from the home passes. The tank collects the water and allows the heavier solids to sink to the bottom forming a "sludge". Lighter solids such as soap, grease and oil rises to the top and forms "scum". Natural bacterial action works on the solids, helping to break them down.
The tank's design keeps the solids from flowing out with the residual liquid, called "grey water", into the cesspool drainage area where it leeches into the soil.
Cesspools (or leaching pools) are pits into which concrete, brick or cement block walls have been placed. Wastewater flows into the cesspool and drains or "percolates" into the soil through perforated walls.
Cesspools which serve only as "overflow" pits from septic tanks are much more efficient than the older systems because they receive much less solid material. However, where there is no septic tank to hold the solids, the cesspool will require much more maintenance. Over time, when the drainage area around the leaching pool becomes saturated, additional pools may have to be dug to handle the volume.
A typical cesspool is a cylindrical hole in deep soil, several feet in diameter. There is usually a porous inner wall of stone, masonry, pre-cast concrete rings, or other material strong enough to shore up the soil. The outer surface (between the masonry wall and the outer soil wall) is filled with gravel. There is a concrete lid and, on top of that, soil is backfilled to grade.
Raw wastewater flows into the top of the inner chamber. The inner chamber retains and partially digests the solids, and the effluent seeps through to the gravel-filled outer chamber, and then into the surrounding soil.
Design of cesspools depends upon the ability of the soil to absorb water. They should not be used in porous soil or where groundwater may come to within five feet of the bottom. They should also be downhill and 500 feet away from wells or springs used for drinking water.
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