The Arizona copper camp., 1917-02-17
ADVANTAGES Of
THE SEPTIC TANK

rural nome is water supply pro-
tected from contamination, and a
means for the safe disposal of the
wastes from all household processes.
This need can be adequately filled
in the most modest home by the en-
forcement of this simple rule when
apportioning the expenditures for
equipment, viz, that the amount
spent on equippping the farm home
is in fair proportion to that spent on
farm equipment This arrangement is
reasonable since the country home is
an integral part of the business of
farming. Statistics show that, at pres
ent, for one dollar spent for household
Devices sixteen to eighteen are spent
for farming implements. This division
OF the income does not permit of real
efficiency in home making in our rural
communities
Wells in too close proximity to out
houses become polluted by drainage,
making the water supply unsafe Waste
water supply from the kitchen and
laundry thrown around the back door
attracts flies and is dangerous to the
health. With a running water supply
and a septic tank it is possible to have
bath tub, lavatory, toilet, kitchen
sink and laundry tubs. These are ne
cessities in the city home and the lack
of them in the country home is often a
direct cause for discomfort, discomfort
and determination, among the young
people, especially, to quit the farm at
the first oportunity.
The septic tank is cheap, sim
ply constructed and practical method
OF purifying all sewage from the house.
The cost of the simplest style need not
be more than the cost of the cement for
the tank and 100 feet of farm thing,
four to eight inches in diameter. The
actual building can be done by the
farmer
The principle of the septic tank is
that the sewage when emptied into a
concrete tank of specified proportions,
becomes purified by the action of bac-
terra which naturally exists in the
tank. AS the action progresses and
solid matters are broken up the sew
age is slowly emptied into the second
and third compartments of the tank
and finally is discharged perfectly pure
and clear, through a tile drain on to
the garden or field, where it serves for
sub-irrigation.
The size of the tank must be in pro-
portion to the number of persons in
gives the proportion:
Six persons-Four feet wide. feet
long, 5 feet wide
Eight persons-Four feet wide 10
feet long, 5 feet wide.
Twelve persons-Four feet wide, 10
feet long, feet wide.
The distance from the house to the
tank is 100 feet or less. The tank is
underground and is closely covered
with one foot of earth. The outlet
pipe, leading from the third compart-
ment, should be one foot or less under
ground, as the soil bacteria which fin
ish publication are most numerous at
this depth. The walls of the ank should
be four inches thick; the top, bottom
and partition walls should be the same
thickness. The partition walls should
not extend quite to the top of the
tank, a space of four or five inches
should be allowed for ventilation.
The intake pipe from the house
enters the tank through an elbow
about one foot from the top. In the
elbow is a two-inche hole through
which the gases are forced back
through the house drain into the soil,
or ventilating pipe, in the bathroom in
the house.
AS the sewage is discharged into the
tank the bacteria begins an eruptive
movement which breaks up the solid
matter in the sewage causing it to
rise as a scum or mat on the top of the
liquid. When the contents of this
compartment reaches certain level it
is discharged through an opening or
pipe on a level with the bottom of the
intake pipe. AS the liquid rises in the
second compartment it is again dis
charged through an opening in the
next partition to third compartment
Here the liquid is practically clear and
free from ali solid ma alters 1t is at
last discharged through tile pipe
into the water pipe.
The advantages of this septic tank
are it's simplicity, cheapness and the
efficiency with which it operates It
is clean and sanitary. 1t makes posi-
BILE on the most isolated farm one of
the greatest labor saving devices in the
home-a complete and modern plumb
ing and sewer system
Septic tanks like the one above de-
scribed and others similar to it in
style are in use in different sections of
Arizona and have given perfect salts
faction for some time. Though the
tank is supplied with a man hole above
each compartment these do not require
to be lifted in years.
MRS EDITH q SATJSRTrpv
Extension Specialist in Home Econ