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Basic Septic Tank Information

When you live in a rural setting everything that gets poured down your drains or flushed down the toilet ends up in your septic tank. It is very important that you take the time to educate yourself on the proper care of your septic system to eliminate any issues down the road!


If you are reading this and you are already having issues of any kind, it may be a good idea just to call us, or another local septic professional now, to guide you through your current dilemma.


The photo on the right (or below on mobile) represents a basic septic tank treatment system. There are several septic tank styles, capacities, and forms of disposal fields on the Island. Although, they all do the same job! Their job is to treat wastewater, and store excess solid waste in the septic tank. Eventually this septic waste needs to be removed by a vacuum truck to maintain it's lifespan. A person who never gets their septic tank cleaned regularly is basically gambling the same way you would in Vegas! You will either win by not having any issues for years, or lose by having to replace the costly components, or in some cases the entire septic system! It's just not worth the risk! 


Some people will tell you "I've never had my tank pumped!" or "you don't need to pump a septic tank. It's all a gimmick!" Please do not take these forms of advice! They are totally not true! The same as pouring "Miracle liquids" down your toilet so that you never have to pump your septic again! 


There are bacterial additives available that can benefit your septic tank to add extra microbes to the system which can help with systems that are not used regularly or have excess solids, but these tanks still need to pumped regularly! These systems were designed to be pumped out! 


It is important that you do not plant trees or bushes near your septic tank or drain field lines. The roots from these items will be attracted to the water supply (and nitrogen) from your septic system causing system plugging and drainage issues. Along with roots, it is also very important not to drive vehicles on your drain field or septic tank. Drain field components will collapse or break open in these situations. Also, vehicles have fallen through septic tanks in the past, due to their weight.



Not a Trash Can!

Please study the list above! A few to add would be condoms, coffee grounds, and "flushable" wipes. The wipes are "flushable" meaning they do flush, but when they reach the septic tank they do not break down like toilet paper! These wipes can cause real misery when trying to clean out your septic tank, by plugging up hoses, and getting tangled on the service provider's equipment, causing a huge mess!

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