You know they’re out there, and you meet them every day: homeowners who are neglectful or ignorant about the need for routine septic system maintenance. Now comes something refreshing: Reporter Winston Jones, of the Carrollton Times-Georgian newspaper, steps up and admits he’s guilty of willfully ignoring the condition of his septic tank.

After experiencing backups at his home, Jones called the plumber. The diagnosis: the septic tank needed pumping. Jones said up until now, he shared the same “flush it and forget it’’ attitude of many homeowners. He hadn’t had his tank pumped in 20 years, and figured the previous homeowners never touched it either. He describes himself as “negligent.’’

“After I started having trouble, I talked with many other homeowners who have houses on septic tanks. Most have never had their tanks pumped out. One person, whose household has many family members, had their septic tank pumped once, several years ago,’’ Jones writes. “Septic tanks must be the most neglected fixture in a home. Maybe people would think more about them if they sat above ground on the patio, instead of underground.’’

Jones said his local septic service provider was friendly and efficient and took care of his problem. In the end, he shared this message:

“People take a lot of things for granted that they shouldn't,’’ Jones writes. “They flip a switch and assume the lights will always come on. They turn on the faucet with assurance that water will flow out. And they flush their toilets and drain their sinks with little concern where the outflow is going. Just so it’s gone.’’

If you want to read his full story, look here: "Septic Tanks and Politicians Have Something in Common."

If folks learn from Jones’ example, you’ll have fewer emergency calls and homeowners will enjoy trouble-free service from their onsite systems for many years to come.

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