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How to Maintain Your Septic System

(By the Hopewell Township Environmental Commission)

• The septic tank should be inspected at least once every one to two years and cleaned when necessary.  Yearly inspection in inexpensive insurance that can prevent more expensive repairs later.  When the tank needs to be pumped, have as much of the contents removed as possible.  Most problems with septic systems result from either infrequent cleaning or no cleaning at all.
• Limit water use.  Run full loads of laundry; have leaky faucets fixed.  Be especially cautious of water use when heavy rains or melting snows saturate the ground.  These conditions reduce the septic system's ability to drain away wastewater.
• Do not connect sump pump lines to the septic system.
• Empty salt solution from water softeners into a seepage pit. Salt will shorten the life of a drainage field.
• Keep non-biodegradable and bulky waste out of the system. Cat litter, disposable diapers, plastic, and cigarette filters will fill a tank and could clog the pipes.
• Keep harmful chemicals, grease and oils out of the system.