Scum: Substances like oil and grease (which may come from the kitchen sink) that rise to the top of the wastewater in the septic tank. Effluent filter: A component, required in some locations ...

Septic tanks are a lot easier to understand ... This liquid is called effluent. This secondary pipe has another filter on its entrance to keep most of the solid waste from coming through.

Septic tank waste disposal systems have a delicate equilibrium that helps to break down solid waste, while releasing effluent into the drain field soil where the natural filtration processes remove ...