Most people understand that the essential job of a sewer system is to take wastewater away from the house. This wastewater is then emptied into a municipal sewer or a septic tank and treated one way or another. But you may be surprised to learn that the sewer system has other important functions.
First: Why Not Dump Wastewater Outside?
Your sewer line prevents you from having to dump your raw sewage into the environment. Raw sewage is rife with pathogens that can lead to disease. This is how a doctor named John Snow found out what was causing a cholera epidemic in a London neighborhood. Raw sewage was being dumped into the Thames River, and that contaminated water found its way to a public pump that people used to collect water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. When the pump was shut down and sewer systems improved, the epidemic ended. It’s not just bodies of water that are harmed by sewage. Unless the sewage is painstakingly treated, the soil can also be contaminated.
The Sewer Line Gets Rid of the Smell
Another way your sewer line is important is that it not only takes away pathogens but also takes away the smell of the sewage. Imagine if instead of entering a sewer line the wastewater just flowed out of a pipe into a trough around or beneath your house. The horrible smell that would linger results from sewer gas. It’s not harmful unless it’s extremely concentrated, but it’s very tough to live with. Indeed, it would make your home uninhabitable if it persisted day after day, and you certainly wouldn’t invite guests over.
Sewers Prevent Erosion
Healthy sewer pipes also prevent erosion of the soil in your yard. Water that’s allowed to run over the soil eventually erodes it. This washes away nutrients that feed your lawn, shrubs, and trees and may even affect the foundation of your home. Sewer lines collect gallons of water a day and direct it away from your property. This cuts down on erosion problems.
Sewer Lines Save Money
Astonishingly, some homes are still built without sewer lines. This is obviously an oversight, and the homeowner may not be aware of it until they notice a stench or an infestation of rats and other vermin in an otherwise tidy house. Having a septic system installed or having a plumber connect an existing house to the municipal system is expensive. It’s in a homeowner’s interest to make sure they hire a plumber who’s going to install a working sewer system according to local codes while the house is being built.
Local Sewer Line Expertise You Can Rely On
A properly working sewer line is vital to the functioning and livability of your home. To learn more about your sewer lines or to request service, don’t hesitate to call our professional plumbers at A-1 Plumbing and Heating of Farmington, Maine.
