Frequently Asked Questions
Pumping your septic tank is essential for it’s longevity and proper operation. Typically, septic pumping is needed every 2-3 years however, there are exceptions to this based on usage and size. Your maintenance provider will check your system quarterly and advise you accordingly.
Yes. Avoid planting anything other than grass on top of the septic system. Trees and plants should not be planted on or near the aerobic septic system. The roots will eventually infiltrate the tank and will cause damage. Having landscaping too close to the system can also cause interference with access for septic pumping.
- FOOD WASTE: Avoid introducing fats and greases (such as meat trimmings and cooking oil), coffee grinds, fruit rinds, seeds, corn, egg shells, and coffee grinds, regardless if they are ground up in the disposal.
- “DISPOSABLE WIPES”: Products labeled as septic safe and/or flushable are typically not actually safe to be flushed. This is true for both septic and city sewage systems. They tend to clog lines and pumps as well as clump together making it harder to pump the system. This can cause additional repair fees and labor charges.
- CHEMICALS & TOXINS: Avoid introducing things like medications, latex or oil based paints, automotive fluids, pesticides, and excessive amounts of bleach and other cleaning products (especially drain cleaner) into the septic system.
The alarm will go off for two reasons; either lack of air output from the air compressor, or the water level is reaching a higher level than normal in the sprinkler water tank. Please put the system on mute and call your maintenance company to determine if you need repairs or septic pumping.
Yes. The above grade access covers must remain accessible at all times. The lids are removed during routine inspections and service calls. Having all of the lids exposed and accessible is also necessary for proper septic pumping. Plus, if your local health department performs a random inspection on the system, they will definitely require access to the lids.
Slow draining sinks and toilets, standing water around the system or drain field, bad odors around the septic tank, and sewage backing up into the home are indications that the system is not properly processing water. There are numerous factors that can play into this so we highly recommend calling your maintenance provider to look at the system.
Laundry should be spread out throughout the week. Two loads a day would be best if you have a conventional washing machine that utilizes 35- 50 gallons of water per wash. If there is enough time to separate the two loads this is even better. For large families this may be impossible. It’s not advisable, but if you must do four loads, do two in the a.m., and two in the p.m. Too many loads of laundry in a short period of time will push the wastewater through the system without ample time for it to effectively process.
Please turn the toilet off immediately! Then repair or replace the toilet. This is a common problem and will hydraulically surge and flood your system.
A leaking toilet can leak large amounts of water in a very short amount of time. This is a surge (a shock) to the system. With a large amount of water introduced to the system in a small amount of time, it will push the wastewater from the first compartment in the tank to the last compartment whether or not it has had ample time to allow the solids to process and settle out. This will cause unprocessed solids in our sprinkler water tank. This will then clog the intake screen on the sprinkler water pump and the sprinkler filters not allowing the water to spray out and can damage and/or burn up the pump. Also, the system will spray the unprocessed water which is a health risk. This can cause you to need much more frequent septic pumping.
