In the infamous words of pooh experts everywhere, (a golden rule if you may) “Thou shall not create havoc in subjecting the septic system to inorganics!” In other words, think before you flush!
A commonly overlooked consideration when deciding to put in a septic system is that you cannot put just anything into it. The water from your toilets, showers, sinks, washing machine, etc. all go into your septic. This is important to remember when choosing household items. There are many septic safe products and cleaners, you should keep an eye out for.
Stretching out the time in which you are doing the cleaning, such as doing your laundry several times in one week instead of all-in-one day, or not filling your sink completely while washing dishes helps prevent the ‘overloading’ of a system and helps ensure the system is working efficiently and effectively.
Something to keep in mind is your friendly neighbourhood bacteria are fussy eaters! Your bacteria prefer munching on the waste that goes through your body, rather than food that has not yet been digested. Bear in mind, a septic tank was not designed to dispose of food waste, and they can harm the septic tank. Use drain plugs to stop large chunks of food from entering the system, and if you can, start a compost. This link gives ways of starting an indoor or outdoor composter.
Check out: Here’s How to Start Composting at Home
Source: Home Hardware
Another benefit for your system is to get maintenance! A maintenance plan should be included in the design of your system and falls into the category of being proactive. Depending on the system, it may need to be maintained one time up to four times per year, or in some cases, may need maintenance every 2 years. Maintenance is a requirement by BC regulations, and should be kept track of in a binder, that will stay with the system as a record of maintenance, this includes pumpings and upgrades.
