Top Tips for Septic System Maintenance

Follow these septic system care do's and don'ts to benefit the life of your system, your health, your finances and the environment.

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Without proper septic system care — especially as a system nears 20 or more years of use — homeowners are in danger of leaks and blockages that can contaminate soil and water sources.

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Septic System Care

Record Keeping Keep copies of all system drawings/plans of the site, installed equipment, and service records with all other home appliance documents. Record all applicable information.

Laundry/Water Usage Spread wash loads throughout the week. Instead of liquid fabric softener, dryer sheets should be used. Use low-suds, biodegradable and low phosphate detergents, such as Mighty Mike® from Scienco/FAST (www.sciencofast.com).

Leaky Fixtures Large quantities of water are added to your wastewater system when you have leaking fixtures. Timely detection and repair can help to maximize the life of your system, especially the drain field.

Water Softeners The FAST® process may tolerate discharge from properly operating softeners that backwash as needed based on water usage (DIR) vs. timer operated systems, if allowed by your local regulatory authority. However, these discharges can possibly damage other parts of the septic system.

Food Wastes Garbage disposal waste is acceptable – if allowed by your local regulatory authority. However, it may lead to more frequent removal of solids from your septic tank. For large quantities of food, please dispose of in the garbage.

Fats, Oils, and Grease Be aware of too much grease (i.e. animal fats, vegetable oils, lard, etc) down the drain may overload or prevent the bacteria from fully breaking down the waste.

Disinfectants/Cleaners Use citricacid, chlorine, and/or other biodegradable cleaners according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Products containing quaternary ammonia or pine-oil based cleaners should not be used. Use drain cleaners as a last resort to unclog pipes.

Floor Drains from Garage and Workrooms Should be diverted away from your septic system. Items like petroleum-based oils, gas, and saw dust should never enter the system.

Medicines  Do not flush them down any drain. All antibiotic medicines are harmful to treatment quality. Unused medications should be returned to the pharmacy, doctor, or thrown away in the trash.

Source: www.motherearthnews.com