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Maintenance Recommendations

Proper Care of your private sewage system can result in cost savings due to longer system life. The main goal of any household practice should be to protect the soil absorption area. What you put into your septic system greatly affects its ability to do its job. As a rule do not put anything in your septic system that could be put in the trash. For example:

1. Don’t discharge greases, cooking oils, food scraps, coffee grounds, and garbage disposal waste.
2. Don’t discharge material that will not easily decompose such as cigarette butts, sanitary napkins, paper towels, facial tissues, and disposable diapers.
3. Don’t discharge washing machine water that has not passed through a lint trap.

Reducing the volume of sanitary wastewater can decrease the amount of suspended solids being discharged to the soil absorption field. Excess water volume strains the system unnecessarily. Observe the following water conservation tips to help reduce the volume of wastewater flowing to your sewage system.

1. Install reduced-flow plumbing fixtures or water saving devices such as low-flow shower heads and flow restrictors for faucets.
2. Repair leaking plumbing like dripping faucets, float valves, etc.
3. Direct water softener backwash water outside if it does not create a nuisance.

Plan your home water use to help reduce peak load times. Here are some suggestions:

1. Wash clothes over a period of several days, try not to wash more than one load per day.
2. Wash full machine loads of dishes and clothing during non-peak hours.

Clean your septic tank regularly. There are several reasons to pump a septic tank. The first is to remove undigested scum and sludge that accumulates in the tank. When excessive amounts of sludge or scum build up within a septic tank, they may be carried over into the soil absorption field. The distribution pipe and field soil structure may become clogged reducing the efficiency of the system. A licensed sewage hauler should pump the septic tank every 3 years in order to prevent excessive solids from accumulating. Septic tank maintenance not only removes accumulated solids but also allows the pumping contractor to inspect the system for proper operation and identify any structural problems. Proper septic tank maintenance may increase the life of your system and prevent expensive repairs