• NO POWDERED SOAPS

• NO RID-X

• Do NOT pour grease, fats, and oils down any drain. Do NOT attach garbage disposal to your sink for ridding meat, bones, coffee grounds, or other foods that are difficult to biodegrade.

• Do NOT dispose of automobile fluids down any drain (gas, oil, transportation or brake fluid, grease, antifreeze)

• Do NOT dispose of any household chemicals, paint, paint thinners, varnish, any kinds of acids, nail polish, nail polish remover, solvents, oven cleaners, degreasers, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, or hazardous chemicals in your system.

• Do NOT use caustic drain cleaners for clogged drains instead use boiling water or a drain snake to free up clogs.

• Do NOT dispose of any non-biodegradable items in your toilet such as flushable wipes, cigarette butts, disposable diapers, condoms, diaphragms, feminine hygiene products, newspapers, paper towels, or Kleenexes, especially avoid putting anything plastic or rubber down the toilet.

• Do NOT attach “clean water” sources such as Footing Drains or Sump pumps to the septic system. Direct roof drains, basement sump pump drains or other running water or surface water drainage systems away from the wastewater treatment system.

• Do NOT dump any type of home brewing waste into your tank the yeast and it will kill the natural bacteria that is needed to keep the septic tank functioning properly.

• Do NOT use any type of liquid fabric softener in your washer, this causes a film and will plug your system.

• Do NOT put water softener brine/backwash or iron filter backwash into system.

 

THINGS TO DO

• Pump your tank every 3-5 years.

• 1x (min) year the effluent filter needs to be taken out, hosed off, and put back in.

• Try to stagger wash loads. Do dishes and laundry throughout the week vs doing it all on the weekend. 

• Clean your toilet, sink, showers, and tubs with a mild detergent or baking soda rather than a stronger and potentially system damaging bathroom cleaner.

• Use disinfectants, laundry detergent or dish soap and bleach in small amounts, try to use a low or no phosphorous detergent or soap. (Ultra is generic term for low or no phosphorous)

• Avoid excessive amounts of mud or sand on clothing.

• Clean your toilets, sinks, showers, tubs with a mild detergent or baking soda rather than a strong potentially system damaging commercial bathroom cleaner.

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In summary, care should be taken to not dispose of items into the system that will destroy the natural digestion process. Using antibiotics regularly will destroy the natural digestion process and you will need to have the septic tank pump more frequently. If you adhere to these few simple rules your septic tank system will prove to be a safe and economical on-site method for disposing of your rural home wastewater.