County Connection- Advice from the Heartland

News Release - Floyd County
Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension Educator, ANR

Septic Tank Maintenance
or
"How to Keep That Green Water Out of Your Lawn"

It may be a dirty secret that many of us try to keep buried in our back yard but a key feature of common household wastewater treatment systems is the septic tank and soil absorption system. These systems, often referred to as conventional waste water disposal systems, under the right soil conditions of soil structure, texture, and depth to a limiting layer can be quite effective in providing a safe way to eliminate household wastewater and its contaminants.

In such systems, the septic tank (ideally) removes solids from effluent coming from the home by allowing time for the decomposition of up to fifty percent of solids and the accumulation or settling of the rest. In the event that these solids reach the leach or filtration field in an "untreated" condition they can cause it to become clogged, inefficient and to fail prematurely. The result of this is often that green water in the lawn that can result in surface and groundwater contamination, and ultimately may have potential for human health concerns. Even those systems that have the leach fields that are readily identifiable with healthy dark green turf directly over the lines (and not between) may be suspect as functioning in less than an ideal manner.

How long a system will remain functional depends on several variables – tank size, flow of wastewater (depends on plumbing and number of household residents), and volume of solids in the wastewater (more if a garbage disposal is used).

Before the sediments accumulates to the point that the field is no longer protected the tank must be professionally and properly pumped (through the tank manhole) so as to thoroughly and completely remove the sediment. This should never be attempted by the homeowner unless this happens to be their profession.

Certainly stories abound of individual septic systems that have been in place for twenty years or more with no maintenance (i.e. pumping of solids) whatsoever but one must determine for themselves whether this is fact or fairy tale. Eventually, even in the best system, solids will build up in the tank to the point where the field will be rendered ineffective. When this occurs and the leach field is contaminated by sludge, the system may not immediately fail and in some cases a homeowner may be contaminating the environment for years without knowing it.

As we continue to build homes on smaller lots with slopes and soils that are less and less ideal for conventional systems it will become of greater importance that we make sure that the design and installation of the system is done with the highest degree of care and professionalism and that for the life of the system that they are well maintained.

Just as most of us realize that the oil in the family automobile is vital to the operation and long life of the engine and needs to be routinely changed, so we must also realize that the septic tank buried in the back yard is dependent on periodic maintenance for it to function properly and protect our environment. Both are man made mechanical systems with a finite life that can only be extended by good and timely care. Don’t wait until you’re "broken down" to begin to solve the problem. This is one aspect of environmental protection that is not only close to home but one that we have a direct financial incentive to provide for and both community and a personal responsibility to see that it is done in an appropriate and timely manner.

The following are some suggestions to extend the useful life of your septic system and protect our environment and quality of life.

• Make sure your system is adequately designed for your family and the site.
• Find ways to reduce the volume and speed of water passing into the field (fix dripping faucets, avoid overloading the system etc).
  
• Inspect and thoroughly pump that tank based on number in the household and tank size. –Have it cleaned by a professional every three to five years through the manhole on the tank.
  
• Before closing the tank check the condition of the baffles – replace or repair if deteriorated or missing.
• Consider having an effluent filter added to the outlet of the septic tank in place of a baffle. This filter helps to ensure that solids do not overflow into and damage the soil absorption field.
• Do not enter the tank for any reason unless you are qualified. There may be toxic gases present.
  
• Consider a compost pile for kitchen scraps to reduce the addition of excess solids to the tank.
  
• Don’t waste money on biological or chemical additives; they are not needed to aid decomposition.
• Avoid putting oils, grease solvents or pesticides into any household drain.
• Know where your septic system is; mark and or map its location and avoid any disturbance of the soil in that area. Don’t drive over the tank or field.
• Avoid planting anything but turf in the absorption field.
• Install a riser on the tank manhole to make future maintenance easier.
  
• Don’t try to hide or deny a problem exists when it does. A little inconvenience and a few dollars in repairs can save us all a lot of future hardship and expense.

If you have questions about:

• various household wastewater disposal systems
• how they function
• how to maintain them
• how to trouble shoot them
• potential alternatives

Contact Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension Educator in Floyd County by e-mail roy.ballard@extension.purdue.edu or by calling 812-948-5470.

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