Water usage and conservation is an important part of the care and maintenance of your septic system. Putting less water into your septic system can help extend its life, reduce the growth of the biomat and ensure safe and healthy operation.
Tips for reducing water usage
Use low flow fixtures. One excellent way to reduce water usage in your home is to install low-flow plumbing fixtures. Low-flow shower heads, toilets and sink faucets can help reduce your water usage by 30% or more. In addition to reducing water usage at the tap, you can also install low-flow appliances, including low flow washing machines and dishwashers. If you have to make choices, aim for a low-flow washing machine. Typical older washers can use as much as 50 gallons per load. Newer appliances use half of that or less!
You can also consider adding a dry well to your septic system. Dry wells discharge water into the ground. Certain types of water discharge – including laundry water or “grey water” – can be safely returned to the ground via a dry well. This helps keep excess water out of your septic tank and eliminates the problem of lint and chemicals from collecting in your septic tank.
Trash the garbage disposal. Garbage disposals use a lot of water, and dump a lot of organic food waste into your septic tank. Instead of putting an added burden on your septic tank, consider composting your vegetable-based food waste instead. Composting allows the food waste to break down naturally, without adding solid particulates to your septic tank. In the tank, food waste won’t break down, and will add to the sludge layer
Soften the impact of water softeners. Water softeners can discharge a lot of water into the septic tank at one time, leading to the possibility of overflow, and hastening septic field failure. If you have to use a water softener, consider attaching it to an alternative drain system, like a dry well. In addition to keeping water out of your septic tank, it will also reduce the volume of used salts in the tank that tend to torpedo your bacterial action.
If you’d like more information about septic maintenance or drain cleaning, please contact us at Clear Drain Cleaning at (330) 343-7146 to set up an appointment.
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