National SepticSmart Week Celebration
The Fourteen Mile Creek/Goose Creek Watershed Improvement Project is asking homeowners to do their part and be septic smart during the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agency’s annual SepticSmart Week. SepticSmart Week outreach activities encourage homeowners and communities to care for and maintain their septic systems. Nearly one-quarter of all American households depend on septic systems to treat their wastewater. Failure to maintain a septic system can lead to back-ups and overflows. This can result in costly repairs, well contamination, polluted local waterways, and risks to public health and the environment. EPA seeks to inform homeowners on proper septic system care and maintenance and assist local agencies in promoting homeowner education and awareness.
Each Day EPA is reminding homeowners to do the following:
Protect It and Inspect It! Homeowners can save more than $10,000 in repair and replacement costs if they have their septic system inspected at an average cost of $200-350 at least every 3-5 years by a septic service professional.
Think at the sink! Whether you flush down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down the sink, shower, or bath...what goes down the drain can have a major impact on how well your septic system works.
Don't overload the commode! Only put things in the drain or toilet that belong there. For example, coffee grounds, dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, and cat litter can all clog and potentially damage septic systems.
Don't strain your drain! Efficient use of water and staggering water can not only improve the operation of your septic system but also reduce the risk of failure as well.
Shield your field! What is placed on or around your drainfield—a component of your septic system that removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank – matters.
The Fourteen Mile Creek/Goose Creek Watershed Improvement Project is asking homeowners to do their part and be septic smart during the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agency’s annual SepticSmart Week. SepticSmart Week outreach activities encourage homeowners and communities to care for and maintain their septic systems. Nearly one-quarter of all American households depend on septic systems to treat their wastewater. Failure to maintain a septic system can lead to back-ups and overflows. This can result in costly repairs, well contamination, polluted local waterways, and risks to public health and the environment. EPA seeks to inform homeowners on proper septic system care and maintenance and assist local agencies in promoting homeowner education and awareness.
Each Day EPA is reminding homeowners to do the following:
Protect It and Inspect It! Homeowners can save more than $10,000 in repair and replacement costs if they have their septic system inspected at an average cost of $200-350 at least every 3-5 years by a septic service professional.
Think at the sink! Whether you flush down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down the sink, shower, or bath...what goes down the drain can have a major impact on how well your septic system works.
Don't overload the commode! Only put things in the drain or toilet that belong there. For example, coffee grounds, dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, and cat litter can all clog and potentially damage septic systems.
Don't strain your drain! Efficient use of water and staggering water can not only improve the operation of your septic system but also reduce the risk of failure as well.
Shield your field! What is placed on or around your drainfield—a component of your septic system that removes contaminants from the liquid that emerges from your septic tank – matters.
Caring For The Home Septic System
Funds Available to Correct Septic and Water Well Issues in Rural Areas | |
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Why Soil Evaluations Are Needed When Installing A Septic System | |
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Failing septic systems was one of the most frequent concerns identified by stakeholders living in the Fourteen Mile Creek/Goose Creek watersheds as a reason for problems with water quality in this area when the management plan was being put together. While septic system maintenance isn’t terribly complicated, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, it is something that homeowners can easily overlook.
Septic system upkeep really comes down to four (4) key elements.
Septic system upkeep really comes down to four (4) key elements.
- Inspect and Pump Frequently – The average household septic system should be inspected at least every three (3) years by a septic service professional. Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three (3) to five (5) years. Alternative systems with electrical float switches, pumps or mechanical components should be inspected more often; perhaps annually. A service contract might be appropriate with these alternative systems since they have mechanized components. Four major factors will influence just how often your tank needs to be pumped: Household Size, Total Wastewater Generated, Volume of Solids in Wastewater, and Tank Size. A septic service professional will inspect your system for leaks, evaluate tank condition, note scum and sludge levels and recommend any needed repairs. The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) has a septic locator that makes it easy to find septic service professionals in your area (http://septiclocator.org/).
- Use Water Efficiently – On average, the typical single-family home will use about 70 gallons of water per person per day. A single leaky faucet or a running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day. Just remember, all the water a household sends down its drain pipes winds up in its septic system. Efficient water use not only improves the operation of a septic system, it also reduces the risk of system failures. Here are just a few ways you can use household water more efficiently. Use high-efficiency toilets, this could reduce the amount of water going to your system by 50% or more with each flush; considering that toilet use accounts for about 30% of all household waste, this could add up quickly as a substantial water savings. Faucet aerators, high-efficiency showerheads, and shower flow restrictors all help reduce water use and the overall volume of water entering your septic system. When doing laundry, select the proper load size to reduce water waste. Try to spread washing laundry throughout the week rather than doing all the family’s laundry in one day; this allows the septic tank enough time to treat the waste and avoid flooding your drain field. Clothes washers that are rate as ENERGY STAR units use 35% less energy and 50% less water than standard models; this significant energy and water savings can also be true for other Energy Star appliances.
- Properly Dispose of Waste – Whether you flush it down the toilet, grind it in the garbage disposal, or pour it down a drain, everything that goes into your home’s drain pipes ends up in your septic tank. What goes down the drain will affect how well your septic system works. Two sayings need to be considered every time you think about making a disposal: “Toilets aren’t trash cans” and Think at the sink!”. A good rule is to never flush anything other than human waste or toilet paper down your toilet. This means no cooking grease, oils, wet wipes, diapers, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat litter or household chemicals just to name a few. Your septic system contains a collection of living organisms that digest and treat household waste. Pouring toxins down your drain can kill these organisms and harm your septic system. Avoid using chemical drain openers; never pour cooking oil or grease down the drain; never pour paint, solvents or cleaners down the drain; limit garbage disposal use.
- Maintain Your Drain Field – The drain field of your septic system is just as important as the septic tank; without one, the other doesn’t work properly. Here are a few things you should do to maintain your drain field. Never park or drive on your drain field. Only plant trees at the appropriate distance from your drain field to keep roots from growing into your septic system. Keep roof drains, sump pump drains and other rainwater drainage systems away from your drain field to avoid over saturation of the area.