The Pumper's Wife

With so many new people living on septic (at least in our area of Lincoln, Nebraska) I get this question a lot -- do I need to do anything to prep my septic tank before winter hits? If you live on an acreage this makes perfect sense to think that along with all the other items you make sure are "winterized" -- why not the septic system? But, on this issue you can relax.  Nothing needs to be done.  The best maintenance you can do for your septic system is just making sure it is pumped every 3-5 years.  As long as you're staying on top of that, all the rest should be good to go! Here is just my top "hit" list of other items to be aware of -- but not necessarily seasonal issues: 1) Keep tank pumped every 3-5 years 2) Know where your laterals are and stay away from them! Nothing heavier than a lawn mower should ever be on top of the djainfield.  Also, do not build on top of this area either 3) Use cheap, lesser play toilet paper -- no adult or baby wet wipes 4) Be m

It's that time of year that our family loves -- cool crisp fall days, deer season, sweatshirts, campfires, Thanksgiving...bring on the pumpkin spice too! But winter is coming... So does that mean we can't pump septic systems?  Well, not really.  In fact, many people like to have their tanks pumped in the fall and winter months because we don't screw up their grass since most of it is dormant at this point.   Whenever we pump tanks -- no matter what time of year it is -- our issues are the same, gaining access.  If the tank is too far from a driveway or road and we have to drive in a field, yard, pasture, etc, we have to be careful of the weather.  In the spring and summer, we have to be careful of rain.  (Well, we had to be careful of rain any year prior to this year...still wondering if rain has just decided to bypass the state for good...)  In the winter months, we have to be careful of snow and ice.  There is also that issue that some tanks have to be dug up to gain acce

What would we do without the luxury item of toilet paper?     None of us truly saw its value until 2020, but what a wonderful item it is, right?     However, as much as we appreciate toilet paper, it can be a stinker (no pun intended…) at causing problems with your septic system.   Here’s why…   Right out of the gate, all toilet papers claim to be septic safe which unfortunately they are not.  As a new homeowner living on septic, this can cause you issues.  How do you know what toilet paper is good when they all claim to be?  Toilet paper that is more expensive, quilted and 3 ply has a tendency to maintain its integrity even after it gets wet.  This becomes a problem in two ways.  One, when it reaches the baffle region of your septic tank and two when it doesn’t make it all the way to the septic tank but stops in the line on its way down.   Let’s deal with problem number one.  All septic tanks have a region known as the baffle.  It is a box-like area around the incoming line of the tan