The Pumper's Wife

     If you’re building in the country, something you might not know is you have install a wastewater system – or a place for all your wastewater to go.     In town, there is plumbing and city sewers to take care of all that, but if you build in the country you have to provide your own sewer system!     The most popular types of wastewater systems are septic systems.   Septic systems work in conjunction with Mother Nature.  The largest part of a septic system is the drain field (also known as a lateral field or leach field).  The drain field is the portion of your septic system that uses the soil to absorb ALL of the water that comes out of your house.  Every time you flush, do a load of laundry, take a shower, run the dishwasher, wash your hands, etc., the water drains out of the house and eventually ends up in the soil right outside.   But there’s actually a little more involved with where your septic system is...

This article is timely given the last week's rain....when we get sloppy seasons such as this, be mindful of your septic system and monitor your water usage!! Nebraska is one of those fortunate states that gets to experience all four seasons every year.     Our springs are typically cool and wet, summers hot and dry, crisp falls, and cold, snowy winters.     During any one of these seasons, we can experience extreme weather.     For instance, the fall of 2018 was extremely rainy and led into a winter that was very cold and full of snow.  All that gleaned a TON of moisture that was not kind to many septic systems -- especially the older ones!   Why am I taking the time to tell you this?   Your septic system is sensitive to what Mother Nature does.  If we have a wet fall or spring and the ground is overly saturated, this can cause problems for your system.  Typically, it is the older systems that struggle more during times l...

You and your spouse just bought some land.     Both of you are excited about building and looking at floor plans.     You are looking at different flooring types and bathroom tiles, while your husband is dreaming about his new shop/outbuilding with built in man-cave.     You find yourself a builder and that’s it!     Right?   Well, sort of….   Now, I know it isn’t the most exciting thing to consider, but one of the most expensive items in your house when building in the country is your septic system.  You will spend somewhere between $8,000-12,000 on it depending on the number of bedrooms in the house.  I’m no mathematician, but I doubt you’re spending that kind of money on other appliances.  If you’re going to be writing that big of a check, don’t you think it would be wise to make sure you give this “appliance” your attention?   “What?!” you ask.  “You want me to be more concerned about my w...

I may be showing my age here, but any time I think "time to get pumped" I can't help but lovingly think of  SNLs Hans and Franz and their motivational tag line...."We're here to PUMP YOU UP!" So forgive my age and slightly off way of thinking...but I am here to "PUMP YOU -- OUT!" On a more serious note, the best thing you can do for septic maintenance is have your tank pumped regularly.  It's a lot like changing the oil in your car.  The more miles, the more frequently you change the oil.  With a septic system, the more people, the more solids produced therefore, the more frequently you need to pump.   Here’s why… The diagram above shows what an average septic tank contains on a daily basis.  You will see sewage or wastewater comes in from the house, then liquid, sludge and scum get trapped in the tank, and finally wastewater that seeps to the laterals field.   Though you may find all these components completely gross, it’s actually important t...