Septic System Care

Septic systems need protection

Summertime parties are a highlight of summer. Spending time with family and friends at their homes or camps makes for great memories. Those hosting the party spend significant time and energy preparing for their guests. But when making plans, hosts should take some time to review their septic system maintenance and protocols, which will avoid unwanted headaches come party time.

One of the most important maintenance steps for a septic system is having the system regularly pumped and inspected.  Homeowners should hire a licensed contractor to pump out and inspect the inside of the tank. A general rule is to have the system pumped and inspected every three to five years, depending on use. So a seasonal cottage may only need to be pumped about every five years, while a year-round residence with several people living in the home may require pumping at least every three years, if not more. Age and size of the system will also have a huge impact on how often pumping and inspecting is recommended. Protecting your septic system from unnecessary problems is also a key step. Structures, like decks, sheds or driveways, should not be constructed over any part of the system.

Another consideration is to avoid vehicles from driving or parking on the system. The weight of vehicles causes the soil to compact, causing the liquids in the leachlines from being properly absorbed by the surrounding soil. Septic systems are designed to allow liquids to flow from the distribution box and evenly to the leachlines, using gravity.

Heavy vehicles can cause portions of the system to become uneven or disconnected, causing the system to function improperly.

Hosts should also be vigilant about the use of water in the house. When there will be significant increases in water use because of a party, conserving water in the home is important.

There are also more permanent water conservation features, like newer toilets that use less water, reduced flow showerheads, or new, water-efficient appliances like washing machines, which will reduce the amount of water in the system. Hosts should also remind guests about what can and cannot be dumped down drains or toilets.  Chemicals like paints, pesticides and varnishes should not enter your septic system. Also, solid items like feminine care products, cigarette butts, paper towels and fat and grease should not enter the system. And another maintenance no-no is the use of septic system additives, like enzymes or bacteria. At the very least, these additives will have no impact on your system, but in some cases have been known to cause harm to the natural bacteria already at work inside your system’s tank.

Caring for your septic system protects the lake | ChebaccoLake.org

From our files (1990):

As shoreline or adjacent property owners, maintaining your septic system requires more care and responsibility than it would elsewhere.  Nutrients from septic systems play a major role in causing excessive plant and algae growth in lakes.  Wastewater from your septic system that reaches adjacent surface waters also increases the chance of swimmers contracting a variety of infectious diseases that are associated with septic wastes.

You can do many things to help prevent the problems associatied with septic systems near shoreline areas.

1.  Regularly pump and maintain your septic system.  We urge you to have your tank pumped on a yearly basis.  Many lakeside systems remain old, poorly designed, and undersized due to conversion of a seasonal residence to year-round use.

2.  Conserve water in your home.

3.  Redirect surface water flow away from your leaching facility.  Water from driveways, roof downspouts or lawns travels toward the leaching facility, putting an extra load on the system.

4.  Plant a greenbelt away from your leaching facility and the shoreline.  Plant areas of small shrubs and trees to help intercept and absorb some of the nutrients before they reach the shoreline.

5.  Replace your septic system.  Although this is costly, it is sometimes the best alternative.

6.  Use white toilet paper — not colored.  It is more biodegradable.

7.  Do not use a garbage disposal.  This is a major source of clogging a septic system.

8.  Do not put solids or sanitary napkins, paper towels, grease, hair, oil, or coffee grounds down the drain.

9.  Do not put additives into your system.  Medicines, paint, paint thinner, disinfectants, pesticides and acids will only kill the bacteria which is needed to decompose the organic matter.

10. Do not use enzymes or acid for treating your septic tank.

11. Do not plant shrubs or trees with deep roots near your leaching area.

12. Do not allow heavy equipment to drive over the leachng area.

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