Septic tank and garbage disposal

Factual Questions
1

Yes, I know there have been multiple threads discussing this including:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545969&highlight="septic+tank"
and http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=532651&highlight="septic+tank".

I was impressed by the breadth of experience, but it seems (forgive me if I missed anything) to be mostly anecdotal, with a few references to Toronto’ s and New York’s discouraging or ban of the use of garbage disposals (hereinafter referred to as GDs).

I love to do a little side step: Garburator is a good name, but, and I didn’t notice this in my fly by of the above threads, the Insinkerator hast to be the best. Must be international because I have seen them in the US, Britain and Turkey (made in Germany).

Back to my problem. we are buying a house in, mostly rural, eastern Andalucia. Municipal water and electricity, but septic tank system. The main question is do the septic systems work well enough with the proper “care and feeding” to avoid unnecessarily frequent pumping. I really do like GDs, and dishwashers. Most dishwashers also feed their output through the GD.

I grew up in Florida with septic tanks, and remember working with my dad to make the damned things work. But the American systems, at least then, consisted of the tank and a leach field that, if properly maintained, wouldn’t need to be pumped out for 20+ years.

What I think I know of the “Pozo Nero” (Italian?) is that it is just a tank. It will eventually fill and require pumping. Is the system equivalent to the US types, in which you can add active reactants or live bacteria to reduce the solid build up? Shoud I just bite the bullet and forget the GD and Dishwasher? Pump the effluent into las ramblas below the House? (That was a joke.)

2

Well, is it really that expensive to get the tank pumped every year? I had a pozo nero, and besides being really smelly when it was being pumped (approximately once a year) it wasn’t a problem. However, that with a regular dishwasher but no garbage disposal. I don’t see why you’d need to give up a dishwasher, just the garbage disposal, which isn’t that hard to live without.

3

Septic tank (closed system) owner checking in and we have a dishwasher and garbage disposal, four kids, four bathrooms and don’t see what the fuss is all about.

Dishwasher = less water than hand washing.

Now, for garbage disposal, just run what you must through the GD in the sink, and if you have misc garbage that you can toss, go ahead and toss it in the trash. I can’t imagine the GD waste adding much to the total quantity bound for the tank.

4

you will not have a house sized system and not pump for 20 years. the waste does not disappear. some nutrient digestion takes place but fats and solids are left.

in the USA states can require septic systems be pumped or inspected by a pumping service every three or so years. this is an effort to prevent failures and pollution of ground water resources. pumping can cost 1 to a couple hundred dollars (USA).

dishwashers can empty into pipes, disposal is just an easy hook up and can accommodate the don’t scrape the plate machines.

garbage disposals produce fine vegetable matter, this can be suspended in the tank (neither sinks or floats) and can clog your outlet filter if you have one or plug your drain field.