The Difference between Holding Tanks and Septic Tanks
When coming to the decision of installing a wastewater tank, many people become overwhelmed with the vast amount of information available. Holding tanks and septic tanks both provide families and facilities with a space to store their wastewater, but they do have certain differences that can make a major impact on deciding which type of tank you purchase.
Septic Tanks
A septic tank is used for taking in wastewater from a source, treating it, and then leaching it into the ground through mounds or a field. They have at least 2 chambers; one which allows for the sewage to separate, and the second which acts as a pumping chamber. The effluent is then leached out into a field or mound where bacteria break it down further. The size of septic tank required is determined by the number of bedrooms in the home, not the number of people; this is because the septic tank must be equipped to service a full household.
Holding Tanks
A holding tank merely holds sewage; it does not leach away into the ground. The tank has a single compartment and can hold a limited amount of sewage. Then the sewage must be removed by a vacuum truck and sent to a municipal treatment system. As you can imagine, because holding tanks do not process sewage, they need to be serviced much more frequently than septic tanks.
I’m trying to determine what size septic tank or holding tank I need to service 40 people per day for 48 months on a construction site. Any guidance or where I can find the tank needed to service 40 people a day?
Tanks sizing can be found in the Alberta Private Sewage Disposal Systems hand book, if you don’t have the book we would be happy to refer you to a local designer / installer for support. Feel free to contact us using the contact us button.
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