Glossary
Septic Tank Technician Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential septic tank technician terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key septic tank technician vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in septic tank technician training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Baffle
- A barrier that keeps solids in the tank.
- Clean-out
- An access point for clearing pipes.
- Distribution box
- A box that spreads effluent to drain field lines.
- Drain field
- The area where treated effluent soaks into soil.
- Effluent filter
- A filter that catches solids before the drain field.
- Hydro jetter
- A machine that cleans pipes with high-pressure water.
- Hydrogen sulfide
- A toxic gas found in sewers and tanks.
- Manifest
- A record of septage transported and disposed.
- Perc test
- A test of soil absorption for system design.
- Riser
- A pipe that brings tank access to the surface.
- Root intrusion
- Roots growing into sewer pipes.
- Scum
- Fats and oils that float on top.
- Septage
- The material pumped from a septic tank.
- Septic tank
- An underground tank that separates solids from wastewater.
- Sludge
- Solids that settle at the bottom of the tank.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Septic Tank Technician practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Septic Tank Technician training.
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