Georgia Residential Contractor Practice Exam

What impacts the septic tank's size requirements when adding appliances that increase waste?

1. The size of the home

2. The number of bedrooms

3. The type of septic system

4. The presence of a garbage grinder

The correct answer is: The number of bedrooms

The size requirements of a septic tank are significantly influenced by the number of bedrooms in a home. This is because the number of bedrooms typically correlates with the number of occupants, which directly affects the volume of wastewater generated. More bedrooms usually indicate more people living in the house, leading to increased wastewater flow, therefore necessitating a larger septic system to effectively handle the additional waste. When determining the septic system's capacity, local regulations often use bedroom count as a standard unit of measurement. This ensures that the system is adequately sized to accommodate the potential usage and prevent issues such as system overload or failure. While factors like the size of the home, the type of septic system, and the presence of a garbage grinder can also impact waste management strategies, the number of bedrooms remains the most critical factor in sizing septic tanks specifically, as it provides a straightforward measure of expected household wastewater generation.