Like changing the oil in your car, regular inspection and pump out of your septic tank will ensure reliable operation and greatly prolong the useful life of your system. Neglect can result in:
-
•serious health risks for your family and neighbors
-
•costly repairs including digging and replacing your entire drain field
-
•loss of safe drinking water and safe recreation through contamination of
wells and waterways.
Inadequately treated sewage contains disease causing bacteria and viruses, as well as unhealthy amounts of nitrate and other chemicals. Misuse or neglect of your system may cause blockages, overflow of inside plumbing, and/or noxious seepage of effluent around outside drainfields.
A saturated drainfield may have to be replaced at a cost of many thousands of dollars and may require that the home be abandoned until repairs are complete. The alternative to such a nightmare is:
-
-avoid overloading your system
-
-divert down spouts and surface run-off away from your drainfield
-
-repair any leaking faucets or toilets
-
-do laundry over several days
-
-conserve water by not letting it run while brushing, soaping, etc.
-
-have your system inspected by a licensed contractor at least every two years and pumped as needed (depending on size and use, pumping every 3 to 6 years is usually required)
MORE IMPORTANT CAUTIONS:
Don’t use a garbage disposal, or at least limit its use, and never use your toilet or sink drain as a trash can! Flush only toilet paper and what you have already eaten . . . no grease or oil, no paint, no chemicals, no paper or personal products, and no septic tank additives. The bacteria needed to treat wastewater is naturally present in sewage. Additives can re-suspend solids and clog the drainfield.
Don’t dig in your drainfield or build anything over it. Never drive over your drainfield or otherwise compact the soil in any way. Note the location of your septic tank and drain field. Your county office should also have a record.
Keep your septic tank cover accessible for inspections and pumping. Install risers with lids if needed. Plant only grass over or near the drain field to avoid clogging by roots of trees and shrubs.
Call a licensed contractor or your county health department if you have trouble with your system.
