Septic Tank Do's & Don'ts

Having your septic tank cleaned on a regular basis is essential to your maintenance program. It is the only way to remove sludge and greases before they can harm your secondary filter.
State regulations require that the tank be cleaned at least every 3 years and systems with filters need to be maintained every 6 months.
If you have a garbage disposal or four or more people, you will need more periodic maintenance.

If you have a home aeration system, special care is required. It is important to make sure the aerator is running continuously. Air bubbles should be seen in the aeration compartment and vacuum should be present.
Because most aerator maintenance is beyond the expertise of the average homeowner, our technician will check for proper operation on every visit. Most aeration tanks today have a filter that must be maintained every 6 months. If your system is not maintained regularly, catastrophic results will occur. We offer Operation & Maintenance Plans to keep your system in check.

All septic systems will work better with less water than with more.

Install water-saving toilets to reduce water use per flush. Low-flush toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush compared to the three to five gallons used by conventional toilets.

Install water-saving shower heads and install aerators in faucets. These alone can reduce water use by up to 50%!

Fix all leaking faucets and toilets immediately. A toilet that continues to run after flushing could be wasting 4-10 gallons per hour – enough water to fill a swimming pool in a year.

Take shorter showers. Shortening your shower time to 5 minutes or less can save up to 10 gallons of water each time you shower.

Using front load or suds-saver washing machines. 

Also, try to spread water usage out as much as possible.  Avoid doing several loads of laundry in one day as to not shock your septic system with a large amount of water.

Detergents: the very best types to use are those that are marked "LOW-SUDSING" and "BIODEGRADABLE".  Liquid detergent can be better than powdered detergents.  Inexpensive powdered detergents may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of the fillers can be montmorillonite clay that is used to actually seal soils and can wreak havoc on your septic system.

Bleaches: oxygen-based bleaches, such as Biz or Clorox II, are safer to use.

Toilet Tissue: there is no one brand better than another.