Septic Tank Chlorine Tablets For Sewage Treatment

This article considers several aspects of chlorine tablet use in septic systems.

When it comes to aerobic septic system maintenance a wide range of additives is used. Among them is chlorine which serves to kill off unwanted bacteria in septic wastewater before it’s disposed of.

If you’re thinking about putting these septic tablets to use, you’ll need to follow the guideline provided here. We’ve also provided information on where else to use chlorine tablets among several other key considerations.

We’re confident that as you read through, this article will be worth your time.

What Are Chlorine Tablets?

Chlorine tablets are widely used for water treatment. Water treatment varies widely in the sense that these chemical tablets are applied to wastewater, swimming pools, and even drinking water.

However, the type of tablets used for septic tank treatment differs from those used in other situations.

Based on its water disinfection properties, chlorine tablets when added to wastewater kill all sorts of bacteria and viruses. This is necessary to enable treated effluent to be released to water bodies or absorbed by the soil.

Types of Chlorine Tablets

There are multiple types of chlorine tablets.

The different types are best suited for certain water treatments. Two major types of chlorine tablets are available for purchase. They include calcium hypochlorite and chlorinated isocyanurates.

Of these two chlorine tablet variants, calcium hypochlorite is used for septic treatment. These are also known as septic disinfectant tablets.

We’ll be taking a look at each of these for better understanding.

• Calcium Hypochlorite

When it comes to wastewater disinfection, calcium hypochlorite comes in handy as one of EPAs approved products.

The highly reactive nature of these tablets makes them ideal for wastewater treatment as they kill as much bacteria (99%) within the first 10 minutes of application.

Before treated wastewater is discarded or released the chlorine tablet residue within such water quickly dissipates, thus making it safe for the receiving environment. Getting these products to purchase isn’t difficult at all.

You only need to visit your local plumbing department or the nearest Home Depot store.

• Chlorinated Isocyanurates

This is another variant of chlorine tablets you can find in local plumbing stores as well as swimming pool supply stores. However, chlorinated isocyanurates aren’t designed for wastewater treatment.

Nevertheless, there have been cases of illegal use where these tablets end up being applied for wastewater treatment. This is as far as we would go in discussing chlorinated isocyanurates.

Let’s return to chlorine tablets designed for wastewater treatment.

Using Septic Tank Chlorine Tablets

Chlorine tablets for sewage treatment are meant to be used in aerobic septic systems. Now, the results obtained depend on the way these tablets are applied.

Therefore, it will do well to understand the guidelines for use.

Basically, there needs to be a chlorination tube into which chlorine tablets are inserted. The volume of tablets needed for disinfection largely depends on the number of users of a septic system.

It is expected that about 1 to 2 tablets should be applied per user per month.

A chlorination tube can hold about 12 to 15 tablets. This doesn’t mean that the chlorination tube should be loaded to capacity as it could lead to several problems.

Among such problems is the likelihood of humidity causing the soft tablets to swell.

Swelling can get the tablets stuck, thus rendering them ineffective. Another possible issue with loading a chlorination tube to capacity is the possibility of these tablets dissolving at the same time. When this happens, it creates a sticky and soft mess.

For best results consider limiting the number of tablets in the chlorination tube to about 4 or 5 at any point in time. This way, wastewater is better disinfected.

• Dosage Issues

In the course of our discussion on chlorine tablet use, we mentioned the recommended amount of tablets to be applied per user. Now, there is bound to be confusion in regards to actual users of a septic system.

Some members of a household may only be home in the evenings and so, their use isn’t as much as others who stay home throughout the day. What we’re trying to say is that some households whose members are always around will require more chlorine tablet dosage than those whose members are always away.

For a better understanding of what it takes to apply the right amount of chlorine tablets for wastewater treatment, you’ll need to consult the experts.

Experienced septic technicians should provide a more comprehensive idea of what needs to be done.

Other Uses of Septic Chlorine Tablets

While our focus is mainly on septic tanks as indicated by the title, we’ve also considered other possible areas to use chlorine treatment.

Chlorine tablets can be used in just about any aerobic or wastewater treatment system.

While this is true, indiscriminate use won’t get you the results you seek. In other words, you’ll have to follow its use instructions for any meaningful impact.

Consult a Septic Technician before Proceeding

Deciding to use chlorine tablets for wastewater treatment should never be a unilateral decision.

In other words, you shouldn’t make the decision alone, but must be guided by expert advice. There are many benefits attached to carrying out this procedure the right way.

First, there’s less likelihood of making a mistake. Certain mistakes are costly as you might end up misapplying these tablets, thus killing digestive or beneficial bacteria within your septic tank.

Safety risks are significantly minimized when guided by an experienced technician.

Always Stick to Use Instructions

Every chlorine tablet product comes with a guide or set of instructions for safe and proper application. These should be strictly adhered to especially for first-time users.

As a first time user, you don’t want to make a mistake you might end up regretting.

Avoid Swimming Pool Chlorine Tablets

As stated earlier, some types of chlorine tablets are designed for other uses such as swimming pool treatment. It’s important to avoid these completely as they’re not approved for effluent disinfection.

Septic tank chlorine tablets are very effective when it comes to wastewater disinfection.

Our discussion so far has highlighted key areas to consider. These tips help prevent common mistakes associated with chlorine tablet use.