The Slow Death of the Cedar Hollow System
Over the next six months, the undigested solids began to pile up. Normally, the tank should be pumped every 3–5 years. But without bacteria, the sludge layer rose from a normal 12 inches to 28 inches. The scum layer thickened into a concrete-like crust. Solid waste began to escape the tank’s outlet baffle and flow into the leach field—the network of perforated pipes buried in the gravel bed of the back forty. drano in septic tank
The septic pumper, a weathered woman named Carla, arrived that afternoon. She popped the concrete lid and immediately stepped back. The Slow Death of the Cedar Hollow System
Frank noticed nothing. The sink drained fine. That was the trap. a weathered woman named Carla