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S&B Onsite Treatment Systems
Safety
The
Safety and Buildings
Division cautions you about
dangers of POWTS
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Properly
designed, installed, operated and maintained, private onsite wastewater
treatment systems (POWTS) provide economical and effective
sewage treatment. But there are aspects of the systems that
can
be gravely dangerous to your family's safety and health.
| “Benaiah
had fallen into a septic tank. Exactly how that happened
isn’t known, but his parents later determined the access
cover, despite being fitted with screws, could be lifted off, or kicked
off, with little effort. The boy had been pulled from the
foul tank by his father, Tim, and his older brother, Timothy, who is 5,
but by then he’d stopped splashing and had suffocated on the
sewage he’d taken into his lungs. ... It
worked.
Benaiah made a choking noise and then began coughing up the toxic
liquid in his lungs.” From
an article in a summer
2007 Wisconsin newspaper |
Be sure that
the septic tank and its access ports have sound and secure covers that
do not
risk collapse and which cannot be removed by children. GO
When
treating sewage, the tank contains very low levels of oxygen. Hydrogen
sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide and other life-threatening gases are
also present. GO
Be
alert for unsanitary conditions such
as surface effluent or sewage backups into buildings, events which risk
serious viral and bacterial hazards and present personal sanitation
hazards. GO
If you
think there are dangerous
conditions, such as an unsafe tank cover, tank collapse, or a home-made
septic tank or cesspool (which are at increased risk of sudden
collapse) such areas should be roped off and clearly marked as
dangerous to prevent access until proper evaluation and repairs can be
made. GO
Manhole
Covers
The
manhole in
the cover of the septic
tank is the large entrance (20" -24") through which the tank should be
cleaned. The manhole may be buried below ground level, but should be
close to the ground surface for easy access. It may be raised from the
cover of the tank with concrete or plastic risers for easier access. It
is usually located in at either end of the tank; older tanks may have
the larger cover over the inlet end of the tank. Newer tanks should
have a cover terminating above grade over the outlet end of the tank to
accommodate the servicing of a filter located inside the tank. however,
some manufacturers locate it closer to the inlet end of the tank. There
may
be more than one manhole, in which case they are usually located at the
ends of the tank. Covers may be concrete, plastic, fiberglass, or
steel. Insulation may
be added in cold climates. Unless you are a service professional, never
remove the manhole cover!
It is heavy and creates a large, dangerous opening.
Dangerous
Overwhelming Gases
When
treating sewage, the tank contains very low levels of oxygen. Hydrogen
sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide and other life-threatening gases are
also present. The sewage treatment process uses many
beneficial microorganisms, like bacteria, in the treatment process.
However, the tank also contains harmful bacteria, viruses, and disease
causing organisms. Liquid and solid contents of the septic system are
capable of causing infectious diseases. Decomposing wastes in
the septic tank produce toxic gases (such as methane) which can kill a
human in a matter of minutes.
- Do not lean over or stick your head
into the septic tank to examine its interior - you could fall in to the
tank or become overcome by gases and fall into the tank, an event which
is likely to be fatal.
- Never go into a septic tank to
retrieve someone who has fallen in and was overcome by toxic gases
without a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Call for emergency
services immediately and put a fan at the top of the
tank to blow in fresh air.
- Do not light a flame at or
near the tank - methane gas is explosive. Do not smoke near
septic tank openings.
- Never use electrical lights,
appliances, or tools in or close to water or wet ground near the septic
tank or drainfield. This can result in electrical shock or explosion.
-
Contact a plumber or other qualified person if you smell
‘sewer gases’. They can identify the source and
correct it immediately. If the gas is very strong, evacuate the
building until the problem is corrected and the gases are removed.
-
Never go down into a septic tank or any other wastewater tank.
Professionals who work on onsite
wastewater treatment systems are specially trained and wear special
equipment and gear for that purpose, including self-contained breathing
apparatus.
Wastewater is unsanitary
Be alert for unsanitary conditions such
as surface effluent or sewage backups into buildings, events which risk
serious viral and bacterial hazards and which indoors may require
professional cleaning. Be alert for personal sanitation hazards when
working around septic systems, such as open cuts or failure to wash
properly after coming into contact with any part of a working onsite
sewage system.
Rope off and
mark dangerous
sites
- If you think there are dangerous
conditions, such as
an unsafe tank cover, tank collapse, or a home-made septic tank or
cesspool (which are at increased risk of sudden collapse), such areas
should be roped off and clearly marked as dangerous to prevent access
until proper evaluation and repairs can be made.
-
Old steel tanks, thin, rusting steel or rotting homemade wood tank
covers, site-built tanks and cesspools, and recently - pumped tanks
are at particular risk of collapse, with the chance of becoming buried.
Beware of abandoned systems which may not have been filled in. Signs of
collapse include depressions or “soil subsidence”
anywhere on or around the property. Any suspect area should be
roped-off and absolutely no one should walk over or even close to such
a spot until it has been investigated by a professional.
Don’t assume that an old house which is now connected to the
public sewer didn’t previously have an onsite wastewater
treatment
system. |
The
news reflects the dangers
"A
seven-year-old
Portsmouth girl fell into a hole when a septic cover
failed. The same thing happened to a 3-year-old boy in Topsfield,
Massachusetts. And a 3-year-old Taunton boy died last May after falling
into four feet of sewage."
"The 2-year-old fell
into an abandoned septic tank. His mother witnessed the event and was
able to grab
his outstretched hand and pull him to safety, as dirt and
stones continued
to fall onto his face. Weeks later, a second cesspool collapsed in the
same yard, but fortunately no one was hurt."
"The
5-year-old
twins
knew something was wrong when the earth swallowed the baby.
The adults
knew something was wrong when the twins started screaming.
Two-year-old Isiaha Gatwood had stepped into the opening to a septic
tank, dropping into 4 feet of effluent."
"As
they
arrived in
the yard, the young girl stepped on a septic tank cover that was flush
with the ground. She probably didn’t even realize the danger
when ..."
“I
was standing there...watching and stuff. Then I heard a creaking or
something. And then I see Angelina almost falling into the septic tank.
And the lid flipping over.” |
Links --
County
Web sites ||
City/Town/Village Web sites || State
Portal ||
Licensing and Permitting || Build Your
Business
The
Department of Safety and Professional Services Safety and Buildings
Division is an equal
opportunity service provider and employer. If you need assistance to
access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact
us, 608-266-3151, TTY 608-264-8777.
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