Septic Solutions for Your Home

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When trying to decide whether to flush something down the toilet or drain, remember that your septic tank relies on bacteria to break down solids. When in doubt, remember this rule of thumb: If it isn’t water, human waste, or toilet paper, it shouldn’t go in your septic tank. 

Do's:

1. Water
2. Human waste
3. Toilet Paper

Dont's

1. Cigarette butts
2. Cleaning wipes/ "Flushable" wipes
3. Diapers 
4. Feminine hygiene products 
5. Food scraps 
6. Latex products 
7. Paper towels and tissues  
8. Cat litter 
9. Grease and oil
10. Coffee grounds 

Pump out your septic tank when needed. Don't wait until you have a problem. For a typical household, septic tanks are usually pumped every 3 to 5 years. Routine pumping can prevent expensive failures such as a clogged drain-field or sewage backing up into the home. Using a garbage disposal will increase the amount of solids entering the septic tank, requiring more frequent pumping. Four major factors influence how often you need to pump your septic:

• Household size. Generally, the more people in the home, the more often you need to pump.
• Total wastewater generated. If you put a lot of water down the drain (from inefficient or leaky toilets, washers, shower heads, and sink faucets), the tank can't settle completely and you may need to pump more often.
• Volume of solids in wastewater. Garbage disposal and food waste going down the drain, will fill the tank up quicker with solids.
• Septic tank size. The bigger the tank, the more capacity it has to handle solids and water, which could allow for more time between pumping. Older septic tanks might not be sized appropriately for your home, especially if your home has been remodeled and is now larger.

Routine maintenance and proper operation will help your septic system have a long and trouble-free life. If your septic system has been properly designed, sited, and installed, the rest is up to you. Inspect your system annually and pump as needed (usually every 3-5 years). Avoid excess water use, and watch what you put down the drain and flush down the toilet.

Aerobic septic systems are more complex and costly. They involve three compartments: a trash tank, treatment plant and pump tank. All three compartments can either be housed under one unit or installed as separate units. Liquid and solid waste enters the trash tank and settles into layers, just like conventional septic systems. The difference occurs when wastewater travels to the treatment plant, where an aerator circulates oxygen bubbles throughout the effluent, similar to a fish tank pump. The added oxygen is necessary to provide a stable environment for aerobic microbes, which break down waste faster and more effectively than anaerobic microbes used in the conventional system. Next, the wastewater travels into the pump tank for one last treatment with chlorine or another form of disinfectant to eliminate remaining pathogens. From here, it is considered environmentally safe enough to use on surface vegetation before the final phase of treatment, absorption into soil.

Dr. Pumper Septic Service can provide pumping trucks and waste disposal support for your local plumber or septic system service provider during routine cleaning or emergency repair on both conventional and aerobic septic systems.

Conventional septic systems are simpler than aerobic systems.  Solid waste enters a septic tank and settles at the bottom, forming sludge. Liquid waste enters the same septic tank and floats to the top, creating a layer of scum. Anaerobic microbes in the tank help to break down the liquid and solid waste, producing wastewater, which can sometimes pass through one more treatment tank before delivery to the drain field. In order for this system to work, soil needs to be permeable, water tables near the drain field must not be saturated and no restrictive horizons (bedrock) can be present to deter wastewater absorption