Many homes in larger cities or towns have their waste drain to a citywide sewage system, run by a city department. In return for the convenience of having someone else worry about maintaining that system and managing their wastewater, homeowners in these areas are required to pay a fee for those services. Residences that are in more rural areas or that are farther apart may instead rely on a self-contained waste management system, called a septic system. A septic system holds and breaks down the waste.

If you have a septic system, when water or waste goes down the drain, it is taken into a septic tank that is part of the system. There, it settles and is broken down. Solids sink down to the bottom, and lighter particles, grease, and liquid float to the top creating a sheet of scum. The bottom layer of sludge will be broken down over time by bacteria in the tank. The liquid will typically stay in the septic tank in your home for about a day before leaving it. When it leaves, it heads to a drain field, while the scum and sludge stay behind. Although the bacteria in the tank do a good job of breaking down the solid sludge layer, for a septic tank to work optimally, that sludge must be pumped out periodically.

During a pumping, the contractor will locate your pump underground, open the manhole, and insert a vacuum that will clean out all liquids and solids from the tank. Once everything is out, they will spray it with water and a cleaner to ensure it is completely clean. They will also inspect the septic tank to make sure no other work needs to be done before covering it up again.