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Frequently Asked Questions & Resources

Do You Need Septic Service?

Here are some indicators that your system needs some attention by a professional maintenance provider.

Water surfacing somewhere in the drain field; or around the septic tank risers.
Liquid exits from the sand filter mound.
The control panel makes a thumping, or banging, sound when no one is using water.
The panel cycles several times in rapid succession (less than 30 seconds between thumps).
More than one toilet drains slowly or “gurgles”.
Liquid backs up into shower or bathtub.
The alarm sounds.
It’s been more than a year since the system was checked out.

Helpful Septic Information

Do learn the location of your septic tank and drainfield. Keep a sketch of it handy with your maintenance records for service visits.

Do have your septic tank inspected and pumped out periodically by a licensed contractor.

Do keep your septic tank cover accessible for inspections and pumpings. Install risers if necessary.

Do call a professional whenever you experience problems with your system, or if there are any signs of system failure.

Do keep a detailed record of repairs, pumpings, inspections, permits issued, and other maintenance activities.

Do conserve water. Be sure to repair any leaky faucets or toilets as soon as possible.

Do avoid overloading your system. Divert other sources of water, like roof drains, house footing drains, water softener backwash, and sump pumps, away from your septic system. Excessive water keeps the soil in the drainfield from naturally cleansing the wastewater.
Do use substitutes for hazardous household cleaners.

Don’t go down into a septic tank. Toxic gases are produced by the natural treatment processes in septic tanks and can kill, in minutes. Extreme care should be taken when inspecting a septic tank, even when just looking in.

Don’t allow anyone to drive or park over any part of your system.

Don’t plant anything over or near the drainfield except grass. Roots from nearby trees or shrubs may clog and damage the drain lines.

Don’t dig in your drainfield or build anything over it, and don’t cover the drainfield with a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt. The area over the drainfield should have only a grass cover. The grass will not only prevent erosion, but will help remove excess water.

Don’t use septic tank additives. These products usually do not help and some may even be harmful to your system.

Don’t use your toilet as a trash can or poison your septic system and the groundwater by pouring harmful chemicals and cleansers down the drain. Harsh chemicals can kill the beneficial bacteria that treat your wastewater.

Don't allow backwash from home water softeners to enter the septic system.
Don’t dump grease or fats down your drains. They solidify and the accumulation may lead to blockage in your system. Use your garbage disposal conservatively, if not you could increase the amount of solids in your septic tank by fifty percent. Remember your septic system is not a garbage can, composting is a free and green alternative.

Septic system maintenance is often compared to automobile maintenance because only a little effort on a regular basis can save a lot of money and significantly prolong the life of the system.
Sound septic system operation and maintenance practices includes these 3 simple rules: conserving water, being careful that nothing harmful is disposed of through the system, and having the system inspected regularly and pumped periodically (every 3-5 years).
It is important to educate everyone in your household about what is and what isn’t good for septic systems so they can begin to develop good maintenance habits.

Avoid disrupting or permanently damaging your septic system, do not use it to dispose of hazardous household chemicals. Even small amounts of paints, varnishes, thinners, waste oil, photographic solutions, pesticides, and other organic chemicals can destroy helpful bacteria and the biological digestion taking place within your system. These chemicals also pollute the groundwater.
Household cleaners, such as bleach, disinfectants, and drain and toilet bowl cleaners should be used in moderation and only in accordance with product labels. Overuse of these products can harm your system. It makes sense to try to keep all toxic and hazardous chemicals out of your septic tank system when possible.
To avoid groundwater pollution, be sure to dispose of leftover hazardous chemicals by taking them to an approved hazardous waste collection center. For locations and more information, contact your local health department.

Household wastewater first flows into the septic tank where it should stay for at least a day. In the tank, heavy solids in the wastewater settle to the bottom forming a layer of sludge, while grease and light solids float to the top forming a layer of scum.

The sludge and scum remain in the tank where naturally occurring bacteria work to break them down. The bacteria cannot completely break down all of the sludge and scum, however, and this is why septic tanks need to be pumped periodically.

The separated wastewater in the middle layer of the tank is pushed out into the drainfield as more wastewater enters the septic tank from the house. If too much water is flushed into the septic tank in a short period of time, the wastewater flows out of the tank before it has had time to separate. This can happen on days when water use is unusually high (laundry day, for example), or more often if the septic tank is too small for the needs of the household.

Water conservation is very important for septic systems because continual saturation of the soil in the drainfield can affect the quality of the soil and its ability to naturally remove toxins, bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants from the wastewater.

The first thing you can do, is take stock of how water is being used or wasted around the house. Here are some examples of things you can do to conserve water.

If you have any leaking faucets or running toilets, repair them immediately.
Install water-saving features in faucets and shower heads.
(These devices can reduce water use by up to 50 percent)
Avoid taking long showers or letting water run while washing hands & brushing teeth.
Use washing machines and dish washers only when full.
Install Low-flush toilets. Low-flush toilets use one to two gallons per flush compared to the three to five gallons used by conventional toilets. Even using a toilet dam or putting a container filled with rocks in the toilet tank can reduce water use by 25 percent.

It is also important to avoid overtaxing your system by using a lot of water in a short time period. or by allowing too much outside water to reach the drainfield. Try to space out activities requiring heavy water use (like laundry) over several days. Finally, divert roof drains, surface water and sump pumps away from the drainfield.

Finally, it is important to protect your septic system from potential damage.
Don’t plant anything but grass near your septic system. Roots from shrubs and trees cause damage. Don’t allow anyone to drive or operate heavy machinery over any part of the system and keep livestock away from the drainfield and the other parts of the system. Also, don’t build anything on or over the drainfield.

When wastewater leaves a septic tank too soon, solids can be carried with it to the drainfield. Drainfields provide additional treatment for the wastewater by allowing it to trickle from a series of perforated pipes, through a layer of gravel, and down through the soil. The soil acts as a natural filter and contains organisms that help treat the waste. Solids damage the drainfield by clogging the small holes in the drainfield pipes and the surrounding gravel, then excess water will strain the system unnecessarily.

What you put into your septic system greatly affects its ability to do its job. As a general rule of thumb, do not dispose of anything in your septic system that can just as easily be put in the trash. Remember that your system is not designed to be a garbage disposal, and that solids build up in the septic tank and eventually need to be pumped out.
In the kitchen, avoid washing food scraps, coffee grinds and other food items down the drain. Grease and cooking oils contribute to the layer of scum in the tank and also should not be put down the drain. Garbage disposals can increase the amount of solids in the tank up to 50 percent and are not recommended for use with septic systems.
The same common-sense approach used in the kitchen should be used in the bathroom. Don’t use the toilet to dispose of plastics, paper towels, tampons, disposable diapers, bathroom towelettes, handy wipes, oily floor cleaners, liquid fabric softener, water softener backwash, condoms, kitty litter, etc. The only things that should be flushed down the toilet are wastewater and toilet paper.

Frequently Asked Questions & Resources

Do You Need Septic Service?

Helpful Septic Information

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Do learn the location of your septic tank and drainfield. Keep a sketch of it handy with your maintenance records for service visits.

Do have your septic tank inspected and pumped out periodically by a licensed contractor.

Do keep your septic tank cover accessible for inspections and pumpings. Install risers if necessary.

Do call a professional whenever you experience problems with your system, or if there are any signs of system failure.

Do keep a detailed record of repairs, pumpings, inspections, permits issued, and other maintenance activities.

Do conserve water. Be sure to repair any leaky faucets or toilets as soon as possible.

Do avoid overloading your system. Divert other sources of water, like roof drains, house footing drains, water softener backwash, and sump pumps, away from your septic system. Excessive water keeps the soil in the drainfield from naturally cleansing the wastewater.

Do use substitutes for hazardous household cleaners.