Hi all, Just had our 2500 gal. tank pumped by a reputable company. After pumping the guy dumped 20 gallons of Sulfuric acid in to break things up. This is a bottomless tank with no leach field. I'm a first time home owner with a dangerous amount of knowledge.
I expressed some concern about this practice but was assured it's common. Can anyone comment on whether this is really necessay and any environmental implications?
Thanks.
C.
In article , snipped-for-privacy@inPublic.org (Chuck) writes: | Hi all, | Just had our 2500 gal. tank pumped by a reputable company. After | pumping the guy dumped 20 gallons of Sulfuric acid in to break things | up. This is a bottomless tank with no leach field.
Sounds like a cesspool.
| I expressed some concern about this practice but was assured it's | common. Can anyone comment on whether this is really necessay and any | environmental implications?
It certainly used to be common around here 25 years ago, both in cesspools and in septic systems with leach fields. It also seemed to be quite effective. However, I haven't heard of it (or concentrated hydrogen peroxide) being allowed in years. This may be because of environmental concerns about the chemicals themselves or it may be because (as far as I understand Massachusetts regulation) we aren't allowed to "fix" a leach field at all. Once it fails we have to put in a new system that is compliant with current standards. If I lived in a location that allowed it and if an appropriately licensed service person applied it (and if they didn't charge some absurd price for a cheap chemical) I certainly wouldn't complain. As to whether it was absolutely necessary, I would guess that if you were not having a problem in the first place the answer is no...
Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com
It was done routinely in the 50s and 60s. The hug-a-tree folks get excited about any thing with the word acid but in reality sulfuric acid will not do any damage when used in this manner.
RB
Chuck wrote:
A bottomless tank?? Would you explain?
It's a cesspool, a circular preforated concrete form sold in "rings" with no bottom.
Right, got my terms confused. It's a cesspool. Thanks for the replies everyone.
C.
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