The Pumper's Wife

  Today I will elaborate on the septic system drainfield and the best way to care for it.   In the diagram above, you can see all the components of a septic system.  There is a tank and a leachfield/drainfield.  When I talk to customers, many of them are confused as to what makes up a septic system.  I would say many think that all they have is a tank and that is it.  However, the bigger portion of the septic system (and also the most expensive part) is the leachfield/drainfield/lateral field.  This part of the septic system is where the final treatment takes place.  It is also very important to know where your lateral field is located.  If this portion of your system becomes damaged or inhibited in any way, it will ruin the functionality of your septic system.   Below are two examples of what is being installed today for lateral fields.  The top picture is an example of EZ Flow lateral.  The ...

Oh toilet paper!  What grievances you have bestowed upon us!  Especially in this last year of shortages and toilet paper hoarding!  Why must you vex us so?! Okay, maybe toilet paper problems aren't that bad, but they can be problematic and in this time of crazy weather cycles, toilet paper can become a septic systems public enemy number one.  Why is this?  First of all, most toilet papers claim to be “septic safe.”     This can be really confusing to the “new to septic” homeowner.     I’m sure all toilet papers will eventually break down once they get to the tank, but here’s the problem – if they are thicker, 3 ply, quilted toilet paper, they struggle to make it to the tank.   Here’s why…   When you use cheap, singl e ply toilet paper, the minute it hits the water and gets even the slightest agitation, it will start breaking down into tiny pieces.  This is perfect for a septic system because tiny pieces do not get stu...

  Water Usage   So, if you read my previous ever-so-eloquently-written-wastewater-post from last week…You’ll notice the first thing I mentioned when avoiding septic system “messes” was WATER USAGE.  Today, I’m going to elaborate on that.   **In light of the recent snow accumulation back ups have been an issue for some people.  To be clear, most of these systems are older.  We can sometimes pump the tank to give the home a little bit of a break, but that’s only if we can reach the tank due to the location of the tank and snowy conditions.  Please read the rest of this article to find out how water (both from inside and outside the house) can cause problems for older septic systems and what YOU can do to lessen possible problems. **    I had written how septic systems are sized according to the number of bedrooms.  It is assumed there is at least one person per bedroom using approximately 100 gallons of water a day...

  As I have stated before in previous posts/blogs/articles, so many people don’t really know how their wastewater systems work.  Because they don’t know how they work, they don’t understand simple “dos” and “don’ts” of a septic system.   I totally get it!  Until I got into this business I never pondered what happened every time I flushed.  I doubt you do either.  However, when it comes to your own on-site wastewater system (i.e. septic systems) if you don’t ponder it just a little bit, it can lead to big, messy, gross, disgusting, expensive problem.     Have I enticed you enough thus far?     Great, let’s dig in!   Today, I’m going to write an overview of how a septic system functions.   I mean, if you’re going to understand something you need to start with how it works, right?  Right. The diagram above is a basic description of what happens to all the wastewater in yo...