Seven Things You Should Know About Septic Systems in Erie County, NY

For many people, especially those with property in the country, a septic system is the only waste capturing and water filtering system available. With the proper maintenance, septic tanks can be excellent at what they do, returning healthy water back to the ground while quarantining and disposing of human waste for good. However, if your septic tank is not properly taken care of, disaster can strike, damaging your yard, the environment and your budget.

Here are seven things you should know about septic systems in Erie County, NY to make sure you’re taking proper care of your system:

• You can’t just flush anything down the toilet: Don’t flush floor wipes and other pads or papers down the toilet. Toilet paper is specifically designed to begin biodegrading in your septic tank immediately. Anything that goes into your tank that can’t biodegrade just stays there. Over time, this stuff can create clogs that keep water from slowly leaching from your septic tank, therefore causing your tank to overflow.
• Careful with your laundry run off: When your laundry water runs off into your septic system, this can cause all sorts of issues. Bits of fabric can end up in your drain field. They don’t biodegrade quickly, so they can cause bad clogs. Also, the detergents can kill the good bacteria in your septic system that help break down the solid waste. Without these bacteria, your septic system becomes far more susceptible to overfilling.
• The ground above the tank should not be any softer than the rest of your yard: Walk around atop your tank, and out atop your drain field. If the ground is muddy or any softer than the ground around it (assuming it hasn’t just rained, of course), this could be a serious sign that you’ve got a clog that’s slowly causing waste water to backup where it should not be.
• Pay attention to the color of your grass: If your grass is greener over your tank and drain field than in the rest of your yard, this means it’s probably draining too slowly, which means your trenches are full of water, and the excess water is keeping the grass green. Ideally the grass should look the same as elsewhere in your yard. In the very dry months, it should brown like the rest of your yard, indicating it is not getting any more or less water than the rest of your yard. In the wet months, it should get greener.
• Tree roots are common culprits for sudden septic issues: If your septic system starts to have issues, take stock of what kind of plants, shrubs and trees are growing around your septic tank. Big trees, over time, can grow roots that displace your septic tank, unfit pipes or clog the drain field.
• Grease is a serious problem: Grease is a big problem for any drainage system, but especially so for a septic tank. If you clog your tank with grease, nothing can get the clog out but a professional. If you clog the lines going to your tank, odds are you’re going to end up relying on over-the-counter drain cleaning products, which are terrible for your septic tank, as they kill the good bacteria that break down the waste.
• Failing septic systems cause big problems: A failing septic system can cause expensive environmental problems. Septic floods can pollute lakes and drinking water in wells, and it doesn’t take much time, once something’s gone wrong, for things to go really wrong.

Macken Services has nearly 50 years of experience installing, repairing and maintaining septic systems in Erie County, NY. The key to a well-functioning septic system is regular maintenance. Don’t risk something going wrong in a hurry. Give us a call today and let us make sure your septic system is functioning properly.

Categorised in: Septic Systems

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