A properly designed and manufactured precast concrete septic tank can last a hundred years.
The major problem for durability is the use of the concrete tank for anaerobic effluent storage (household waste!). Anaerobic intestinal bacteria surviving in the liquid and waste, produce a by gas product named Hydrogen Sulfide gas. This gas is well known for its rotten egg smell. It is one of the constituent gases that is readily recognized as “septic smell”.
This gas collects between the top of the liquid and tank lid and is the energy source for sulfide metabolizing bacteria named Thiabacillus.
This bacteria leaves a by product of their sulfide metabolism and that is Sulphuric Acid. These bacteria coat all the concrete surfaces above the liquid level and leave countless microscopic drops of this acid on the concrete every day. Over time, the acid breaks down the “basic” concrete thus destroying the septic tank.
The only way to protect against this process is to coat the inside surfaces of the septic tank with a non reactive material. This is required on new tanks in many states.
In an existing tank, this isn’t practical. Installing a Genie will kill the intestinal bacteria that create the Hydrogen Sulfide gas. No more gas, no more energy for sulfide seeking bacteria, thus no more acid to destroy the tank. Now the tank can last indefinitely. This is another advantage to installing a Genie.
Other than this issue, there is nothing you need to be concerned about for your concrete septic tank.
