It’s always interesting to see how people unfamiliar with the inner workings of septic systems view the maintenance process. This usually involves a good laugh on our part, but it also has a serious side. It shows that we have a continuous need to educate the public about how systems work and that what they do can either help or hurt their operation.

Pumper editor Jim Kneiszel found a column by Rich Moran published in the St. Helena Star in Napa, California. I will provide a few snippets from that article because, though written in a humorous vein, it shows how far we have to go in our education efforts.

Here is the first quote: “Ignored, a septic system will solve all of its own problems. Septic tanks contain magic chemicals and bacteria that make it as good as new if left to its own devices. If left alone long enough, any suspicious internal plumbing problems will be fixed by the complete lack of attention to the septic system.”

LET’S TALK MAINTENANCE

How many of your customers have this type of view? They are the ones you see only at times of extreme emergency, typically at some inopportune time relative to holidays. In Moran’s case, he is apparently a seasonal resident, only at the country vacation home for brief periods of time.

One of the first suggestions to a homeowner following an “emergency” goes like this: “Let me get you on a regular inspection and maintenance program so we can anticipate these problems in advance and take care of them before a backup at the Fourth of July cookout.” The system does not take care of itself. No matter what type of system, it needs some level of regular maintenance. For the septic tank, maintenance means the periodic removal of accumulated sludge and scum, cleaning the effluent screen and inspecting the system to see that the baffles are sound and in place.

For systems that utilize pumps, the homeowner should be reminded that pumps are mechanical, so the pump tank and pump should be regularly inspected to ensure solids are not entering the tank. Make sure the pump, electrical connections and floats are in good working order.

One of my local pumper friends has shared his frustration with customers who at first ignore alarms, then try every other solution before calling him and expect him to be there immediately to solve the problem. Hopefully you do not have a lot of customers like this. This is one example of day-to-day issues that need to be dealt with. Articles promoting the do-nothing approach, no matter how humorous, are not helpful.

GREMLINS IN THE PLUMBING

Writer Moran states, “The leachfield is a mysterious part of the septic system that doesn’t require any work either. The leachfield is like an underground octopus that moves the vitamins out of the septic tank to somewhere in your neighbor’s yard. Like the septic tank, the leachfield never fills up.”

We know a septic system has a finite capacity and that how it is used will have a large impact on whether it will perform long term. This should also be a part of the conversation with the homeowner: that everything they can do to control water use in the residence is important. This could be things like spreading wash out over the week rather than doing it all on Saturday morning.

One more statement from Moran was informing: “I suspected we had gremlins and plumbing problems in the old house based on strange noises. Each time the disposal in the kitchen was turned on, the water in every toilet in the house would gurgle and swirl like a witch’s brew.”

Moran and other homeowners need to recognize that the garbage disposal adds water and solids to the system and is better unused or removed from the kitchen. If the disposal is used, additional solids load requires more regular maintenance. In fact, a lot of those solids are harder to break down in the anaerobic environment of a septic tank.

WE’RE NOT JOKING

I’m sure each of you can add similar stories and experiences to these examples. The point is that we should not let articles like Moran’s go unchallenged no matter how humorous we think they are. There are people who see this misinformation as justification for not being proactive about caring for their systems.

It’s not that I am against humor. As a matter of fact I use it all the time in workshops and personal interactions. But as an industry we are sometimes viewed as only a short-term or last-ditch solution to wastewater treatment needs, so anything we can do to change perceptions is important.

In the future I will discuss some other questionable advice you may see in print and on the Internet, such as the suggestion to add a cup of baking soda a week to keep your system working.