Caring For Your Septic System

Highly skilled septic installation providers will typically ensure that your septic system does not encounter any significant problems. But, after 20+ years of use, you may discover that you have excess water in your tank, non-biodegradable material has entered your system, or you have dumped too much detergent into your wastewater, disturbing the ecological balance of your system. Here’s how you can avoid some of the most common septic system problems that can lead to the failure of your system.

Don't Run Your Water 24/7

One of the simplest methods for maintaining your septic system is to ensure that you do not dump excess water into your system by leaving your faucet on all day, including faucets that may be leaky, or some reverse osmosis water filtration systems. Although this may appear to be innocuous, running water through your septic system requires time to pass through your tank and into the leach-field.  Homeowners who do not conserve water properly and flood their tank may cause the water tank to fill so high that solid waste passes into the septic distribution channels, which were intended for liquid waste. Once solid waste enters these tubes, they can clog the system, which requires a potentially costly and avoidable repair or premature pumping of your tank.

Only Flush Bio-degradable Items

Septic systems in Boulder County include a carefully balanced ecosystem of bacteria within the tank, which break down solid waste so as to ensure that it may pass through into the leach-field prior to returning to the earth's water cycle. Children may flush non bio-degradable items such as plastic wrappers, small toys, nuts, bolts, or other items while they play in the sink or the bathtub. Other common household items, particularly “flushable wipes” and feminine hygiene products (often labeled “flushable”, but may contain non-biodegradable material, such as polyesters) can also cause disastrous problems with your septic system. These items may accumulate within the septic system and cause an obstruction within critical entry and exit piping systems. Make certain that only “septic safe” biodegradable tissue paper is flushed into your waste water system.

Detergent & Chemicals Disrupt Septic Operations

The septic system requires a robust ecosystem of bacteria, which break-down solid waste in preparation for moving into the leach field for final filtering.  However, dumping large amounts of bleach, detergent, Draino and other abrasive chemicals into your drains may destroy the delicate balance of bacteria and render your septic system inert. Standard levels of detergent usage are acceptable (i.e. washing clothes, dishes and people), but dumping a full bottle of bleach into the sink for disposal purposes is not advised.

These are simply a few examples of the proactive steps that you may take in order to maintain your septic system for many years to come.