A cesspool is not something that can be installed and then promptly forgotten about, it does require periodic care. Cesspool maintenance on Long Island requires regular pumping and other simple tasks, all of which need to be recorded. As a cesspool is designed to accommodate a specific amount of water on a period basis, it also helps to keep an eye on water consumption in the home so that the tank and drainage field are optimized.
The average cesspool holds about 1,000 gallons of water, this sounds like a great deal of water but it is amazing how much is actually used with a few days of family use including showers, clothes washing, operating a dishwasher and flushing the toilet. When you consider all the sources of waste water heading for the cesspool, you can see how quickly 1,000 gallons can be used.
If a cesspool fills too quickly water which is not properly treated will be discharged into the drainage field. The drainage field is a complex of pipes that holds and slowly leaks effluent into the ground. Under normal circumstances this type of wastewater distribution system works well as treated water is fed into the system slow enough to enter the ground before new water is added. If the drainage field gets more water than it can cope with, the field will often flood.
Most cesspool maintenance on Long Island is performed by professionals. It is in the best interest of the homeowner to maintain a log of all work that is done on the system, thus allowing the homeowner to know when maintenance work is required.
Perhaps the most important issue is to have the tank routinely pumped. The idea of a septic system is to have insoluble’s settle to the bottom of the tank, allowing only water to enter the drain field. As the waste builds up in the tank, of course the volume is restricted. Based on the records kept by professionals in this business, a domestic cesspool should be pumped every four or five years.
Paying particular attention to the drainage field and the aerator pump is something that the homeowner can and should do. The drainage field will have risers coming from the ground in close proximity to the aerator pump; this should be hosed down every couple of months to keep it working at peak efficiency.
