- Excess water use can damage a septic system - AndersIE
A septic tank and drainage field make up a private sewage treatment system. These systems require conscious care and maintenance to keep them working and avoid costly repairs or contamination of the environment.
Everyday maintenance of septic systems
Nova Scotia Environment writes that “a well-maintained septic system can run for decades. An abused or neglected one can fail tomorrow” (“Before You Construct an On-site Sewage System,” 2008). When you live in a home with a septic tank and field, you need to observe certain life style rules:
- Conserve water. Too much water moving through the septic system is a frequent cause of problems.
- Use cleaning products in moderation; use biodegradable products where possible.
- Don’t do multiple loads of laundry in one day.
- Use a lint filter in the washer.
- Don’t put food waste or cooking oil down the drain; compost kitchen waste.
- Don’t flush plastics or other non-biodegradable items.
- Don’t put chemicals such as paint, pesticides, automotive oil, disinfectants etc. down the drain.
- Divert surface water away from the field.
- Keep a healthy grass cover growing over the tank and field. (Don’t build or pave above it.)
- Don’t allow trees or tree roots to grow into the septic field.
- Don’t drive over the septic field.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation does not recommend the use of additives marketed as septic system enhancers ("Your Septic System").
Regular maintenance
Even when a septic system is carefully maintained on an ongoing basis, it will still need to be checked and emptied periodically:
- Have the tank inspected every year or every second year, depending on how much it’s used.
- Most tanks need to be pumped out about every three years.
Nova Scotia Environment recommends summer and early fall as the best times to have a tank pumped out. If the tank belongs to a property that’s only occupied in the summer, pumping should be done early in the season to avoid frost damage.
If your septic system fails, the cost to repair or replace it will be significant.
Signs of septic system failure
If a septic system is not working properly, you should be able to tell. Household plumbing fixtures that are slow to drain may indicate clogged pipes, or a problem with the septic tank or field. You may also notice sewage or grey water backing up into the house or liquid pooling over the septic field. Other signs of problems include an odor of sewage, and contaminated wells or surface waters.
Always hire a professional contractor to pump or repair a septic tank. In many places, septic tank failure and/or alternations to the system must be reported to environmental authorities and approved.
Rosemary Drisdelle - Rosemary Drisdelle has been published many times as a nonfiction writer and several times as a poet. Her first book, Parasites: Tales of ...
