HOW TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM

Protecting your investment

A septic system is an effective method of household wastewater treatment. In addition, it is cost effective and easy to maintain. While one in four homes in the United States is on a septic system, the number is much higher here in Alaska. Well-built systems can last 20 years or more when properly maintained. Septic system failures are a major source of groundwater pollution, cause waterborne illnesses, such as dysentery and hepatitis, and are expensive for a homeowner to replace or repair.

Use this guide

Unlike other aspects of your home, it's easy to forget about the septic system. But septic maintenance is like automobile maintenance; a little effort on a regular basis can save you a lot of money and significantly prolong the life of the system. The next few paragraphs contain simple septic maintenance steps for you to complete in order to save you the surprise and cost of having to replace or repair your system before it’s time.

First things first

Knowing what not to put down your toilet is important. The following items can overtax and/or destroy the natural processes within your septic system.

What not to flush

coffee grinds, dental floss, cigarette butts, disposable diapers, or kitty litter grease, oil, sanitary napkins, paper towels, paints, pesticides, or powder detergent

Use Water Wisely

The more wastewater you produce, the more your tank and drainfield must treat. Continuous saturation can affect the quality of the soil and its ability to naturally remove toxins, bacteria, and viruses from the water. Use water-saving devices, repair leaky fixtures, reduce toilet reservoir volume, take shorter showers and shallower baths, and wash only full loads of dishes and laundry.

Pump Regularly

Don't wait until you have a problem! If the buildup of solids in the tank becomes too high, solids move to the drainfield and can clog and strain the system to the point where a new drainfield will be needed. How often your tank needs to be pumped depends on the size of your household. Modern conveniences, such as garbage disposals, hot tubs, and whirlpools increase pumping frequency.

Inspect Annually

Inspecting your system annually is a good way to reveal problems before they become serious. By measuring the levels of sludge and scum in your tank, you can get a more accurate idea of how often the tank should be pumped. WARNING: Never allow anyone, including yourself, to inspect a tank alone or to go down into a septic tank. The toxic gases, which are produced by the natural processes in septic tanks, can be fatal within only a few minutes.

Protect Your System

Grass is the most appropriate coverage for your septic system and will help reduce erosion. Roots from shrubs and trees can cause damage, and asphalt can interfere with the natural drainage. Don't let anyone drive heavy equipment over your system, because that can compact the soil or damage the pipes. Keep in mind your drainfield replacement area too, and keep it clear of construction.

Should I add chemical or biological additives to my septic tank?

Because of the cold soil temperatures typically found in Alaska, adding performance enhancing additives like yeast or bacteria to your septic tank is of little value. Because of this, the Alaska State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommends against using additives and instead recommends that you have your septic tank pumped regularly or monitor your tank and have it pumped when the floating scum layer or the sludge layer on the bottom reaches six inches in thickness.