Septic Tank Tips
Have the tank pumped regularly based on tank size and usage. See the chart on our article about septic tank pumping.
Fix leaky faucets and running toilets. Spread your water usage across the day rather than turning the taps on all at once. Running the shower, dishwasher, and sprinklers simultaneously sends a high volume of water through the tank all at once.
Your toilet is not a garbage can. Flush only human waste and toilet paper.
Dispose of cooking oils and grease in the garbage. Don't send it down the drain.
Limit the use of drain cleaners.
In the great majority of cases, both biological and chemical septic additives are unnecessary. What's worse, they may negatively affect ground water quality.
Using a garbage disposal can shorten the time between pumping by a year.
Best Practices for your Drain Field
The best surface for your drain field is grass. It reduces erosion and absorbs surface water. Hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete weigh heavily on drain field pipes and shorten their lifespan.
Don’t plant trees or shrubs above the drain field. Roots travel into the lines, causing problems.
Do not drive over your drain field. The weight of a vehicle may cause pipes to crack.
Top Tips to Save Water and Your Septic System
Saving water is the best thing for our environment and clean water is a limited resource we need to conserve for future generations.
Did you know that conserving water can prolong the life of your septic system?
The average family uses approximately 400 gallons of water per day – and at least 27% of that is from just the toilet! The current standards for septic systems state that a septic system has to be rated to handle 450 gallons of water usage per day, so you can imagine that a household that doesn’t have good control of their water usage can get into trouble with their septic system rather quickly.
Use less water with the following tips:
- Replace older model toilets with water saving toilets. Older toilets tend to use 3.5-7 gallons of water per flush while the newer models use an average of 1.6 gallons per flush – quite a difference! And a water saving toilet can reduce water usage by as much as 60% depending on the model.
- Replace conventional shower heads with water saving models. This change can save the average family 2,900 gallons of water annually. The energy you save to heat that water is enough for 13 days of heating your home! Plus your wallet will thank you for a lower energy bill.
- When doing laundry, wash only full loads. A load of laundry uses 40 gallons. Many small loads of laundry this can easily overload your septic system. We also recommend not washing many large loads in the same day to keep from overloading your septic system. This tip can also be applied to the dishwasher.
- Don't overload your septic system by using a lot of water in one day. A family of four can easily use 400 gallons of water, 40% of a 1,000-gallon septic tank, in a day. Spacing out when you shower, wash laundry, and do the dishes can help maintain your septic system and keep your drain field healthy as well.
- Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth. This simple change can save 200 gallons of water per month. We suggest sticking a post it note to the mirror above the sink to remind yourself and your family to turn off the faucet.
There are many ways to save water and help your septic system. We’d be happy to share more information with you. Call us at (541) 567-8940. We want you to have the healthiest septic system in the county!