• Be sure you have an alarm system in your tank to warn you before you have a sewer backup.

• Make efforts to minimize the amount of water that goes into the onsite sewage system.

• Systems are designed to handle domestic wastewater. Things that do not break down easily are:
• Facial tissue, large amounts of vegetable scrapings, coffee grounds, chemicals, paint, oils, sanitary napkins, applicators, condoms, medicines, pesticides, poisons, strong disinfectants, etc. These can damage a system and even stop a pump, as well as increase the need for pumping.

• Do not pour grease or cooking oil down the drain (including a toilet). Grease and oil are hard to break down and will eventually move into the soil plugging it off.

• Restrict the use of in-sink garbage disposals.

• Disposal fields are installed near the surface, so it is important to keep automobiles and heavy equipment off the system. The piping and septic tanks can be damaged by heavy traffic, and the traffic will compact the ground, reducing its ability to absorb sewage water. In winter, traffic (even snowmobiles and footpaths) will drive the frost into the system causing it to freeze.

• Have the tank pumped out on a regular basis. Most tanks need to be pumped every 2 years, but this depends on the size of the tank and the amount of waste it receives. The more occupants using the tank, the more often it will need to be pumped out.

• Pumping the tank more often than is required is much better than leaving it to the last minute. Septic systems can be very expensive to fix.

Edmonton Vac Truck Services