Seasonal Care for Septic Systems in the Summertime: Part I
The arrival of summertime means the arrival of a new set of seasonal tasks and priorities that septic owners should be mindful of in order to keep their systems functioning smoothly. Depending on where you live and the surrounding environmental factors like temperature, summer weather can present strains on septics such as soil compaction and dryness, increased water consumption, and accelerated bacterial growth.
The things that septic users should do to alleviate these stresses are not all necessarily summer-specific behaviors; many of them are good practices that should be followed all year round. When your customers ask for guidance on what to do for their septic systems over the summer, start with advising them on the practices explored in this blog post. Part 2 will be published later this month.
Control & Monitor Water Use
The overuse of water in a home can overload a septic system and cause it to backup in any season. But the risk of that happening is generally higher in the summertime, when people often use more water in response to the heat, for their gardens and yards, and may host large parties or cookouts. This makes summer the most important time to carefully monitor and control the usage of water in homes with septic systems, in less significant-seeming uses. Water conservation is also greatly beneficial in the increasingly-common event of drought, for both individual septic systems and the environment at large.
Here’s a list of the ways that most homeowners can limit their water use:
- Look out for leaky faucets, pipes, and toilet bowls. Fix any leaks that arise as soon as possible.
- When replacing water fixtures and appliances, choose low-flow and water-efficient models.
- Take shorter showers and flush the toilet as few times as possible.
- Only run washing machines and dishwashers with full loads.
- Try to spread high water use expenditures (like laundry, dish loads, sprinklers/plant watering, etc) evenly throughout the week.
- Keep these water flows away from your septic system: Roof drains, sump pumps, water softeners, and iron filters. Reroute and channel them away.
Many of these steps are of even more importance in the days leading up to a large gathering being hosted at a home. For more guidance on how to prepare, see our previous blog post “How to Prepare a Septic System for a Large Event.”
More on droughts or septic systems in naturally dry, hot climates: Careful water usage, regular maintenance, and optimized system design are especially important to prevent a system’s soil from becoming too compacted, dried out, and unable to absorb effluent sufficiently. Find more specialized information in the sources below.
Stop Harmful Substances from Entering Systems
Of course, there’s never a good season to have unnecessary or harmful products and substances in a septic system. But it’s important enough that it’s worth reminding septic users of in any season. There are two general categories of substances that people might introduce to their systems: unrelated products from their everyday lives, and septic additives.
Not everyone understands that they need to be very careful with the household products and substances they put down their drains. With toilets, it’s easy to remind them of the Three Ps that cover the only things that should be flushed: pee, poop, and (toilet) paper. But when it comes to other drains in a house, it can get harder for a homeowner to distinguish what is acceptable to go down the drain and what isn’t. (Although, again, the list of acceptable substances is pretty limited).
Liquid laundry detergents and gel dishwashing detergents, as long as they don’t have high phosphorus contents, are okay. If the detergents do have high phosphorus, they should be avoided. Here’s a list of other common household substances that should not be going down drains to septic systems:
- Any non-human waste solids, even seemingly insignificant solids like lint. Effluent filters or lint catchers can catch lint from washing machines, which is otherwise hard to control. But other particular solid items of note to keep out include (but are not limited to) grease, coffee grounds, food particles, and paper towels.
- See this presentation from our Resource Library for more information on preventing laundry lint from reaching septic systems. (Go to Page 8).
- Anti-bacterial soaps; which can destroy the good bacteria that the tank and soil treatment areas need to function.
- Harsh cleaners, including disinfectants, bleach, and some laundry detergents.
- Potentially hazardous chemicals like solvents, paint, or extra medication.
When it comes to septic additives, we maintain the position that additive substances intended to enhance performance or fix issues are not ever necessary and can in fact often be harmful. One way this can happen is by causing solids to get suspended in the tank’s liquids, which will end up damaging the drainfield. It’s just as important to keep alleged septic additives out of systems as it is for household substances.
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Check back for Seasonal Care for Septic Systems in the Summertime: Part II later this month!
Sources and Further Information:
- Seasonal care at the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center, Onsite Sewage Treatment Program
- Summer Septic Maintenance Tips | John Kline Septic Services
- Seven Tips for Maintaining Your Septic Tank in the Summer | Bowen’s Septic & Plumbing
- Preparing Your Septic for Summer | FloHawks Plumbing + Septic
- Maintaining Your Septic System During the Summer When the Heat Is On | Central Septic and Plumbing
- Desert Septic Challenges: Overcoming Issues with Arid Climates | Odor Free Septic
- Droughts & Septics | Septic Check
- Considerations for Septic Systems Serving Vacation Home Rentals | University of Minnesota Water Resources Center, Onsite Sewage Treatment Program