I've got a septic system, now what?

Your septic tank is designed to be a large separator, keeping the sludgy material in the septic tank and out of the drainfield.  Therefore, the most important thing you can do to preserve your septic system is to have the tank pumped/drained on a regular basis.  This pump out should consist of removing as much sludge as possible out of the tank, not just the liquid material!  Here is a general guideline we recommend:

• 4+ people in a household OR  you have a garbage disposal= yearly service
• 2-3 people in a household = every 2 years
• 1 person in a household = 3-4 years

If you have a large household (5+ people) or if you have had drainfield problems in the past, you may want to consider adding an effluent filter to your septic system for additional protection.  This results in much cleaner water flowing out into your drainfield.

The second most important thing in preserving your drainfield is making sure that your outlet baffle in intact.  The purpose of an outlet baffle is to block sludge from skimming across your septic tank and flowing directly into the drainfield.  Many, many septic drainfields have prematurely failed due to this small component being overlooked.

Whenever you get the septic tank pumped out, this should be checked by the technician!  If it has eroded away or has fallen off, it should be replaced as soon as possible!