Septic Tips

10 Tips to Keep Your Septic Tank System Friendly

Municipal Sewage Plants spend millions of dollars each year insuring proper and safe operation of the community Sewage Treatment Plant. Your home Septic Tank and Leach Field is your sewage treatment plant. For the safety of your family, pets, and neighbors, please consider these helpful tips to provide a cozy environment to allow the Septic Tank System to do its job effectively. A failed system is unhealthy and may threaten your property value. To better understand how a home sewage treatment septic tank works, please click on the link.

1. Never pour or flush cleaning agents with bleach or strong disinfectants down the drain. Use the new sodium based enzyme automatic dishwasher detergent. Other detergents contain high concentrations of caustic and chlorine bleach. These chemicals will kill the friendly bacteria in the septic tank just like they do when used for cleaning topical surfaces to kill micro-organisms and bacteria.
   
   
2. Never put motor oil, paint, paint thinners, gasoline, pesticides or herbicides down the drain. These substances are toxic to the septic tank bacteria and micro-organisms.
   
   
3. Never pour cooking oil, fats, grease, or coffee grounds down the drain. Avoid the use of garbage disposals on kitchen scrap material. These elements are one of the main problems associated with improper functioning of the tank. The grease and solids build up in the tank and eventually gets out into the drain field stopping the leaching ability. Abusing your septic tank increases the chance of future problems.
   
   
4. Never flush cigarette butts, sanitary napkins, or associated applicators into the septic tank. Some parts will never decompose (regardless of what is advertised) and will require pumping out.
   
   
5. Limit the use of bleach based toilet bowl and drain cleaners because they are harmful to the friendly bacteria and micro-organisms in the septic tank.
   
   
6. Use only high-quality white toilet paper. Some colored paper dyes contain chemicals that are toxic to the septic tank function.
   
   
7. When doing laundry, try to do full loads and space the washing frequency throughout the week. Use only low phosphate detergent. Leaching of phosphates cause aquatic algae to bloom. The water in your leach field either evaporates or eventually merges with ground water flowing into the rivers and streams, fertilizing the algae, which is very harmful to aquatic life.
   
   
8. Never divert your rain gutter downspouts or sump pump into the septic tank. Sounds silly, but this will overload the tank and push the floating grease scum layer and bottom solids layer out into the leach field. Do not laugh because some have done just that.
   
   
9. Never drive your car or heavy vehicle over the septic tank or the drain field. You may damage the tank structure or worse yet, make an unauthorized smelly entry causing real damage and costing you real money.
   
   
10. Plant large trees at least 20 feet away from the drain and leach field. The canopy blocks the sun light minimizing evaporation and may cause root damage to the drain and leach field.

As a homeowner, you alone are responsibility for the proper function and maintenance of your Household Septic Tank System. You can be a good neighbor and extend the life of your system or you can continue to abuse the system causing failure. A failed system is illegal, unhealthy, threatens your property value, and may cost thousands of dollars in repair or replacement.