Maintaining a Septic Tank System

Once a septic tank and absorption field are installed, you can do several things to prolong their life, thus protecting an investment which may cost $2500 or more. Here are several tips you can follow. Often overlooked or neglected is the fact that septic tanks should be inspected at least once annually. In every properly functioning septic tank, sludge accumulates in the bottom. This sludge is composed of solid materials and must be removed periodically. If the sludge is not removed, the accumulated solids will build up in the septic tank and will begin to wash out into the absorption field. Allowing solids from the septic tank to wash out into the absorption field will eventually clog it to the point where a new field will be needed. Most authorities agree that for a typical three-bedroom home, a 1 ,000-gallon (3,800 I) septic tank will need to have the solids removed every three to five years. Smaller tanks must be pumped more often. Septic tank additives that clean the tank are available, but these are generally not recommended. Some additives may cause the solids to be flushed from the septic tank into the absorption field, causing clogging problems. Other compounds may produce a septic tank effluent which will destroy soil structure and cause premature failure of the soil absorption system. To determine if your septic tank needs pumping, the thickness of the sludge can be measured as illustrated in Figure 1. To measure the depth of the sludge, wrap a long stick with a piece of rough, white toweling and tie it securely. Lower the stick through the inlet tee (to avoid the scum) to the bottom of the tank. Wait about 30 seconds and remove the stick slowly and carefully. Black particles will cling to the towel indicating the depth of the sludge. The sludge should be removed if its depth is equal to one third or more of the liquid depth. Occasionally, a floating scum layer may develop in septic tanks. This scum layer can also cause clogging and should be checked annually. The scum layer thickness can be measured with a stick and hinged flap device (Figure 1). Push the stick through the scum until the hinged flap falls into the horizontal position. Raise the stick until you feel the bottom of the layer. Mark the stick to indicate the depth of the scum layer. Now use the same procedure to locate the lower end of the submerged inlet pipe. If the bottom side of the scum layer is within three inches (7.6 em) of the lower end of the submerged inlet, the septic tank should be pumped. Most communities have contractors who pump septic tanks. It may cost$50 or more, but it is necessary for maintaining the life of the absorption field. The contractors pump the contents into a tank truck and dispose of it at an approved treatment site or by proper land application. Be sure the workman who cleans your tank mixes the liquid, sludge and scum before pumping so that all of the material can be removed, not just the liquid. It is not recommended to wash, scrub or disinfect the septic tank when pumping. Similarly, it is not necessary to leave solids in the septic to start it again. Normally, as the septic tank fills, the natural processes begin. Products to seed the system with desirable bacteria are available, but they are also not necessary

Stigma Reduction in Adolescents and Young Adults Newly Diagnosed with HIV: Findings from the Project ACCEPT Intervention

This article describes the influence of a group-based behavioral intervention for adolescents and young adults newly diagnosed with HIV (Project ACCEPT) on four dimensions of HIV-related stigma?personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, negative self-image, and concern with public attitudes about people with HIV?as measured by the Berger HIV Stigma Scale. Stigma was addressed in a holistic manner during the intervention by providing HIV/AIDS-related information, facilitating the acquisition of coping skills, and providing contact with other youth living with HIV in order to improve social support. Fifty youth (28 male, 22 female; mean age=19.24 years) newly diagnosed with HIV from four geographically diverse clinics participated in a one-group pretest-posttest design study whereby they received the intervention over a 12-week period, and completed assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Results from the combined sample (males and females) revealed overall reductions in stigma in three dimensions: personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, and negative self-image, although only the combined-sample effects for negative self-image were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Gender-specific analyses revealed that the intervention reduced stigma for males across all four dimensions of stigma, with all effects being maintained to some degree at the 3-month follow-up. Only personalized stigma demonstrated a decrease for females, although this effect was not maintained at the 3-month follow-up; while the other three types of stigma increased at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Findings are discussed in terms of gender specific outcomes and the need for a different type of intervention to reduce stigma for young women.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140165/1/apc.2013.0331.pd

Resilience Processes Demonstrated by Young Gay and Bisexual Men Living with HIV: Implications for Intervention

Given the increasing numbers of young gay/bisexual men (YGBM) diagnosed with HIV, it is important to understand the resilience processes enacted by this population in order to develop interventions that support their healthy development. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 54 YGBM (ages 17 to 24; 57% African American, 22% Latino) living with HIV from four geographically diverse clinics in the United States. Resilience processes clustered into four primary thematic areas: (1) engaging in health-promoting cognitive processes; (2) enacting healthy behavioral practices; (3) enlisting social support from others; and (4) empowering other young gay/bisexual men. These data suggest that YGBM living with HIV demonstrate resilience across multiple dimensions, including intrapersonal-level resilience related to individual cognitions and behaviors, as well as interpersonal-level resilience related to seeking support and providing support to others. Implications for the development of culturally-appropriate and strengths-based secondary prevention and other psychosocial interventions for YGBM living with HIV are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140154/1/apc.2013.0330.pd

EVOLUTION—Taking Charge and Growing Stronger: The Design, Acceptability, and Feasibility of a Secondary Prevention Empowerment Intervention for Young Women Living with HIV

In the United States, youth of 13?24 years account for nearly a quarter of all new HIV infections, with almost 1000 young men and women being infected per month. Young women account for 20% of those new infections. This article describes the design, feasibility, and acceptability of a secondary prevention empowerment intervention for young women living with HIV entitled EVOLUTION: Young Women Taking Charge and Growing Stronger. The nine session intervention aimed to reduce secondary transmission by enhancing social and behavioral skills and knowledge pertaining to young women's physical, social, emotional, and sexual well-being, while addressing the moderating factors such as sexual inequality and power imbalances. Process evaluation data suggest that EVOLUTION is a highly acceptable and feasible intervention for young women living with HIV. Participants reported enjoying both the structure and comprehensive nature of the intervention. Both participants and interventionists reported that the intervention was highly relevant to the lives of young women living with HIV since it not only provided opportunities for them to broaden their knowledge and risk reduction skills in HIV, but it also addressed important areas that impact their daily lives such as stressors, relationships, and their emotional and social well-being. Thus, this study demonstrates that providing a gender-specific, comprehensive group-based empowerment intervention for young women living with HIV appears to be both feasible and acceptable.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140143/1/apc.2013.0085.pd

HIV and adolescents: focus on young key populations

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138345/1/jia20076.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138345/2/jia20076-sup-0001.pd

A Septic Tank System for Sewage Treatment

A properly designed, installed ao1d maintained septic tank system is an approved method of sewage treatment for private residences in rural or urban areas where public sewage treatment systems are not available. The components of a septic system are the house sewer, the septic tank and the absorption field, as illustrated in Figure 1. Sewage flows to the septic tank through the house sewer. In the septic tank, the solids are separated from the liquids, undergo anaerobic digestion and are stored as sludge at the bottom of the tank. The liquid (septic tank effluent) flows to the absorption field where it percolates into the soil. The soil acts as a final treatment by removing bacteria, pathogens and fine particles. All household wastes and normal amounts of cleaning materials, including soaps, detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners and other mild chemical preparations, can be tolerated by a septic system. Roof drains and foundation drains should not be connected to the septic tank system. These sources of clear water only overload the septic system and may cause premature failure of the absorption field. Septic Tank Location The site of a septic tank is usually determined by the location of major bathroom and kitchen plumbing within the home and by the slope of the land. Locate septic tanks at least 15 feet (4.5 m) from the foundation walls and approximately straight out from the point where the house sewer pipe goes through the wall. Table 1 gives minimum distances between the septic tank system and water lines, property lines and surface water supplies. Locate the septic tank out of high traffic areas where excessive loads may damage the tank top. Keep clear of areas subject to flooding, ponding or surface drainage from surrounding areas. The location should be accessible to a driveway or other acceptable route so a tank truck can be driven close enough to pump out the sludge and clean the tank. Do not locate septic tanks under sidewalks or patios where the tank is inaccessible for pumping. Consider the possibility of future expansion and locations for additions, such as sidewalks, patios, garages and storage buildings, before selecting the tank site. Sizing and Septic Tank Construction The minimum septic tank size for any installation is 1,000 gallons (3,800 I). For more than 3 bedrooms, add an additional capacity of 250 gallons (950 I) per bedroom. Garbag3 disposals add an extra load to the system, requiring about 25 percent additional tank capacity. Minimum tank capacities are listed in Table 2. Septic tanks must be watertight and constructed of sound and durable materials that are not subject to excessive corrosion, frost damage, cracking or buckling due to settlement or back filling. Common construction materials include concrete, fiberglass and steel. Minimum liquid depth of the tank should be 4 feet (1.2 m). The inlet should not be less than 2 inches (5 cm) above the liquid level. Many septic tank shapes are satisfactory and the shape may depend on the type of material used. Figure 2 illustrates a typical septic tank with sanitary tees used as baffles on the septic tank inlet and outlet

Home Sewage Treatment Systems

Homeowners in areas not served by municipal sewage treatment systems face a problem of providing safe and effective wastewater treatment systems for their homes. There are several methods currently available for proper treatment of home sewage, including septic tank absorption fields, mounds, lagoons, aerobic treatment units and others. These systems and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed in this NebGuide. Treatment and disposal of domestic sewage is of concern because of the variety of pathogenic organisms contained in sewage. These include bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that come from the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and skin of man. Some of the illnesses caused by these include dysentery, infectious hepatitis and typhoid. It is important to keep these disease-causing organisms from entering underground water supplies or surface waters through improperly designed or installed sewage treatment systems. Septic Tank-Absorption Field System Conventionally, the septic tank-absorption field system has proven satisfactory for many areas when properly designed, installed, and maintained. However, conditions do exist where this system is not suitable. Areas of seasonal high groundwater tables, bedrock in close proximity to the soil surface, or soils having very fast or very slow percolation rates are not suited for the septic tank-absorption field system. Other limitations for this system include topography, small lot size and proximity to water supplies used for drinking or recreation. The typical septic tank-absorption field home sewage treatment system consists of two major components- the septic tank and the absorption field (Figure 1). In the septic tank, solids are separated from the liquid, undergo anaerobic digestion and are stored as sludge at the bottom of the tank. The liquid (septic tank effluent) flows to the absorption field where it percolates into the soil. The soil acts as a final treatment by removing bacteria, pathogens, fine particles, and some chemicals. Figure 1. Typical septic tank-absorption field home sewage treatment system. The minimum septic tank liquid capacity for any location is I ,000 gallons (3,800 1). For houses having more than three bedrooms, an additional 250 gallons (950 I) of tank capacity is added per bedroom. Septic tanks must be water tight and constructed from durable materials that resist excessive corrosion, frost damage and cracking or buckling due to settlement or backfilling. Common construction materials include concrete, fiberglass and bitumastic coated steel. Location of the septic tank is usually determined by the placement of the home plumbing and the topography of the land. Septic tanks should be located at least 15 feet (4.5 m) from foundation walls and at least 50 feet (15 m) from private water supplies or surface waters. The location should be accessible for cleaning but should not be located beneath sidewalks, patios or driveways. Also, consider possible expansion of the house when selecting a site for septic tank placement

EVOLUTION—Taking Charge and Growing Stronger: The Design, Acceptability, and Feasibility of a Secondary Prevention Empowerment Intervention for Young Women Living with HIV

Abstract In the United States, youth of 13–24 years account for nearly a quarter of all new HIV infections, with almost 1000 young men and women being infected per month. Young women account for 20% of those new infections. This article describes the design, feasibility, and acceptability of a secondary prevention empowerment intervention for young women living with HIV entitled EVOLUTION: Young Women Taking Charge and Growing Stronger. The nine session intervention aimed to reduce secondary transmission by enhancing social and behavioral skills and knowledge pertaining to young women’s physical, social, emotional, and sexual well-being, while addressing the moderating factors such as sexual inequality and power imbalances. Process evaluation data suggest that EVOLUTION is a highly acceptable and feasible intervention for young women living with HIV. Participants reported enjoying both the structure and comprehensive nature of the intervention. Both participants and interventionists reported that the intervention was highly relevant to the lives of young women living with HIV since it not only provided opportunities for them to broaden their knowledge and risk reduction skills in HIV, but it also addressed important areas that impact their daily lives such as stressors, relationships, and their emotional and social well-being. Thus, this study demonstrates that providing a gender-specific, comprehensive group-based empowerment intervention for young women living with HIV appears to be both feasible and acceptable

The Role of Multiple Identities in Adherence to Medical Appointments Among Gay/Bisexual Male Adolescents Living with HIV

Abstract Adolescents living with HIV require engagement with care providers in order to access the critical medical and psychosocial services they need. The current study sought to explore developmental determinants of adherence to medical appointments as one aspect of engagement in care among a geographically diverse sample of 200 gay/bisexual male adolescents (16–24 years) living with HIV, with a specific focus on ethnic identity, sexual orientation identity, and identity as a young man living with HIV. Ethnic identity affirmation (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.3, 0.9), morality of homosexuality (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.5), and HIV-positive identity salience (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9, 2.4) were associated with significantly higher risk for missed appointments in the past 3 months. These findings highlight the importance of attending to developmental factors, such as the development of multiple identities, when attempting to increase engagement in care for gay/bisexual male adolescents living with HIV