Water and Wastewater Terms Beginning S

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septic tank

A system sometimes used where wastewater collection systems and treatment plants are not available. The system is a settling tank in which settled sludge and floatable scum are in intimate contact with the wastewater flowing through the tank and the organic solids are decomposed by anaerobic bacterial action. Used to treat wastewater and produce an effluent that is usually discharged to subsurface leaching. Also referred to as an interceptor; however, the preferred term is septic tank.