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How Do I Know When it’s Time to Service my Septic System?
Posted on Monday, April 24, 2023
According to the EPA, Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years.
Major factors that influence how often you should expect to pump your septic system:
Household size
Total wastewater generated
Volume of solids in wastewater
Septic tank size
There are several recommendations to consider putting into place to maximize the time needed between pumps:
(1) Use Water Efficiently
Did you know the average indoor water use in a typical single-family home can be as much as 70 gallons per individual, per day? Even one “running” toilet can add as much as 200 gallons of water per day! This is why having high-efficiency toilets, faucet aerators and low-flow fixtures is highly recommended.
(2) Properly Dispose of Waste
Whether you flush it down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down a drain, everything that goes down your drain ends up in your septic system. What goes down the drain affects how well your septic system works. Your septic system is not a garbage can. In general, it’s recommended not to flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper.
Never, ever flush:
Cooking grease or oil
Non-flushable wipes, such as baby wipes or other wet wipes
Feminine hygiene products
Condoms
Dental floss
Diapers
Cigarette butts
Coffee grounds
Cat litter
Paper towels
Household chemicals (gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint or paint thinners, etc) - Your septic system contains a collection of living organisms that digest and treat household waste. Pouring toxins down your drain can kill these microorganisms and harm your septic system!
(3) Maintain Your Drainfield
Your drainfield—a component of your septic system that removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank—is an important part of your septic system.
Parking: Drainfields are not designed to support the weight of vehicles driving over them or parking on them.
Planting: Don’t plant trees too close to your drainfield to prevent roots from interfering your septic system. In addition, concrete, asphalt, or other impermeable materials should not be laid on top of a drainfield. They reduce evaporation, which will cut off the supply of oxygen to the soil. Oxygen is critical to the microorganisms living in and treating your septic system.
Placement: Don’t allow sources of excess water to drain out onto the drain field (ie: sump pumps, rainwater drainage systems, etc). The extra water can slow down or even stop the treatment process that occurs within the drain field.
