Do’s and Don’ts of Septic System Care

I recently wrote about Understanding Title V in my blog.  Today, let’s talk about caring for your septic system.  Septic systems must be maintained regularly to stay working.  Any type of neglect or abuse can cause harm to you and others as well as to the environment.  Here are some simple maintenance guidelines to follow.

DO have your tank pumped out and system inspected every 3 to 5 years by a licensed septic contractor. If the tank fills up with an excess of solids, the wastewater will not have enough time to settle in the tank.  The excess solids can then pass into the leach field and clog you drain.  You can find one listed in the yellow pages under Septic Tanks & Systems-cleaning.

DO keep a record of pumping, inspections, and other maintenance. Use a file folder to hold all records and receipts of maintenance.

DO know the location of your septic system and drain field. Keep a sketch of it handy for service visits.

DO practice water conservation. Repair dripping faucets and leaking toilets, run washing machines and dishwashers only when full, avoid long showers, and use water-saving features in faucets, shower heads and toilets.

DO divert roof drains and surface water from driveways and hillsides away from the septic system. Keep sump pumps and house footing drains away from the septic system as well.

DO take leftover hazardous household chemicals to your approved hazardous waste collection center for disposal. Use bleach, disinfectants, and drain and toilet bowl cleaners sparingly and in accordance with product labels.

DO use only septic system additives that have been allowed for usage in Massachusetts by MassDEP.  http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/addallwd.htm

DON’T perform excessive laundry loads with your washing machine. Doing load after load does not allow your septic tank time to adequately treat wastes and overwhelms the entire system with excess waste water.   Consult a tank professional to determine how many loads of laundry you can do in a row to keep your tank operating properly.

DON’T use a garbage grinder/disposal, which feeds into the septic tank.  By adding food waste, you decrease your system’s capacity and increase your need to have the tank pumped more often.  If you have a garbage disposal severely limit its use.

DON’T allow anyone to drive or park over any part of the system. The area over the drainfield should be left undisturbed with only a mowed grass cover

DON’T make or allow repairs to your septic system without obtaining the required health department permit. Use professional licensed contractors when needed.

DON’T use commercial septic tank additives. These products do not help and some may hurt your system in the long run.

DON’T use your toilet as a trash can by dumping non-biodegradables down your toilet or drains. Non-biodegradables can clog the pipes.  Grease can also thicken and clog the pipes. Store cooking oils, fats, and grease in a can for disposal in the garbage.

NON-BIODEGRADABLES include:  grease, disposable diapers, plastics, etc.

DON’T poison your septic system and the groundwater by pouring harmful chemicals down the drain. They can kill the beneficial bacteria that treat your wastewater. Keep the following materials out of your system:

POISONS include:  gasoline, oil, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, antifreeze, etc.

And be alert to these warning signs of a failing system:

• sewage surfacing over the drainfield (especially after storms)
• sewage back-ups in the house
• lush, green growth over the drainfield
• slow draining toilets or drains
• sewage odors

Sources:  http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/septicsy.htm#care, http://www.marealtor.com/content/title_5.htm

Septic Systems: Understanding Title V

If you are not from New England, where it all began…you may not be familiar with Title V Regulation, Septic Tanks, Tight Tanks, Leaching Fields and so on.  ‘Homes that are not connected to a sewer system use septic systems or cesspools, both of which are regulated by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and local boards of health.’¹

Originating back to France this technology developed by John Mouras was brought to the new country as early as 1883 and used in many towns and cities. ² Most homes in New England that were built in the 1600 and 1700’s were farms, cabins, single family homes in the middle of nowhere and most people would have an outhouse of some form.  In Cities, homes were able to hook up to public sewer systems.  In the late 1800’s rural communities did not have the luxury of hooking up to public water and sewer because of their location  so they relied on a private well for water and some form of a private septic system for disposal of waste.  The most effective private system providing you have the acreage is the septic system that carries the waste away from the home in the form of a leaching field.  The waste comes from the home via a PVC pipe and is delivered to a Distribution Box/Tank (D-Box), from here, the solids will settle to the bottom of the tank and the scum and liquids float to the top.  The liquids are then channeled away from the D-Box into long perforated PVC pipes.  Depending upon the design,  a typical trench system can use drainage pipes as long as 100 feet.  The length of the pipes is a direct correlation of how fast the leaching field will drain as well as how many bedrooms the system can handle.  The liquid waste and lighter material is carried along these pipes and then dispersed along these holes to another drainage system of sand and rock.  As this is biodegradable material, it will continue to break down, some will go back into the ground water, feed vegetation such as  the plants or lawn.   In homes that have no land or are built on a ledge or near bodies of water, a “tight” Tank may be installed.  This is exactly that, a tank, everything from toothpaste, soaps and detergents as well as waste is contained.  Once this gets filled up, it must be emptied of all its contents.

In today’s housing market, before selling your home, you must have your septic system tested by a licensed Title V inspector (The Title 5 regulation, 310 CMR 15.00)³.  They will inspect the system to make sure it has proper drainage, all the parts in are intact and the soil in and around the system remains solid.  A good system can last 20 plus years and can be repaired and updated as anything else in your home.  To maintain your system and to have it pumped regularly will extend the life of the system.

Now, if for any reason your system fails this inspection, you may have a very costly project.  Typically they fail because the land and soil are no longer breaking down the waste and it will no longer drain.  A new system can be designed and built in some cases in the same location but in many will be moved to another location of the property.  An Engineer and Board of Health will determine where the system can go and must adhere to local and state guidelines.  A new system can be as little as $10,000 and up to $40,000.  In a traditional sale of a home where a buyer obtains a mortgage, you cannot convey title (sell your home) until this system has a passing grade.  However, there are mortgage solutions for this type issue that allow for holdbacks and special financing options to cover the costs of the repairs or new system.

 Please email Bill for more information.   bill@billnickerson.com

¹ Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Title 5. http://www.marealtor.com/content/title_5.htm

² http://www.newtechbio.com/articles/history_of_the_septic_system.htm

³ http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/buysell.htm