How to Care for and Maintain Your Septic Tank System

Septic tank systems need proper maintenance.

Households not served by public sewage treatment plants commonly use septic tank systems to collect, treat and dispose of waste water and sewage. Septic tanks are usually large containers, concrete or fiberglass, that are buried in the ground. Unmaintained septic tanks often fail, which can contaminate your water source and do costly damage to your property. If you perform proper maintenance on your septic tank system, it should provide you with years of reliable, safe and low-cost service.

Things You'll Need

• Low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Trash can
• Licensed septic tank cleaner

Instructions

1. Conserve water. The more waste water your family produces, the more your septic tank system must work to treat it. Repair any leaking water faucets and plumbing fixtures. Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have full loads. Install low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets to reduce your septic tank's workload.

2. Don't pour any type of fat, cooking oil or grease down your sink drains. These substances harden in your septic tank, often building up and clogging the pipes.

3. Watch what you flush down your toilet. Tissues, feminine hygiene products, paper towels and cigarette butts can quickly clog the pipes in your septic tank system. Toss those items into a trash can instead.

4. Limit your garbage disposal usage. Using a garbage disposal drastically increases the amount of solids entering your septic tank system. This means that your septic tank has to work harder, which decreases its effectiveness and reduces the amount of time between pumpings.

5. Pump the solids out of your septic tank system. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension recommends that most septic tanks be pumped out every three to five years, depending on the number of people in your family, your daily waste water output, the amount of solids entering your septic tank system and the size of your septic tank. Always hire a licensed septic tank cleaner to pump your tank.

6. Landscape the area around your septic tank system with care. Don't plant any shrubs or trees near the system because the roots might break the pipes. Don't construct driveways, pools or building additions near your septic tank system because the pressure can damage the pipes and cause waste water to leak into the surrounding soils.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep accurate records of any maintenance work performed on your septic tank system. This can help you anticipate the next time it'll need pumping.

• Make a diagram of your septic tank system's location. Physically mark the boundaries of your tank so you can find it easily.

• Never enter a septic tank because it lacks oxygen and contains poisonous gases.

• Don't use any commercial additives for septic tank systems. No evidence exists that they actually improve performance, and they contain toxic chemicals that might leak into the soil or your water source.

References

• Michigan State University Extension; Managing Your Septic System; Eckhart Dersch, eta al.; July 1997
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Maintaining Your Septic Tank; Elaine Hassinger, et al.; February 2000

Resources

• Washington State University Cooperative Extension: Properly Managing Your Septic Tank System
• University of Maryland Extension; Septic Systems and Their Maintenance; Thomas H. Miller