Think of it as a giant, underground stomach for your house. It breaks down all the nasty stuff you flush, from toilet paper to... well, everything else. The tank lets solids sink to the bottom (that’s sludge) and lighter stuff float to the top (scum). The middle layer of liquid—called effluent—then trickles out into the drain field, where the soil finishes the cleaning job.
Sounds simple, right? It is, until that sludge pile grows too high and starts blocking the exit. That’s when your backyard turns into a swamp of doom. Pro tip: don’t treat your tank like a magic garbage can.
