Be Septic Smart: 4 Reasons Why You Should Keep Up On Septic Tank Maintenance

Approximately 20% of Americans rely on septic tanks to dispose of their waste. Because septic tanks reside in your own backyard, it’s vital that you care for them and stick to the recommended maintenance schedule: septic systems should be inspected at least once a year, and pumped every three to five years depending on the size of the system and number of people living in the home. If you adhere to this schedule, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of a healthy septic tank. Let’s take a look at four of them.

• Saves you money: Compared to the costs of septic tank repair or septic system replacement (which can cost between $3,000 and $7,000), regular maintenance fees are nothing. A malfunctioning or broken system can interrupt your life as well as your wallet; don’t take the chance.
• Protects your property value: An unusable septic system, or one in disrepair, will lower your property value. If the entire system needs to be replaced, your yard will be completely torn apart — it could be years before it gets back to a lush, healthy state.
• Keeps you healthy: Human beings should not be exposed to wastewater. The material contains disease-causing bacteria and viruses as well as high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Properly maintained systems will remove and contain these pollutants, but inadequate care can result in groundwater contamination; without routine septic tank cleaning, you could end up washing your hands with or even drinking the water you just flushed down the toilet.
• Protects the environment: Every day, more than four billion gallons of wastewater is dispersed below the ground’s surface. If that water is contaminated by poorly treated household wastewater, you could be damaging the ecosystems near and in streams, rivers, and lakes, and may seriously harm native fish and plant life.

In addition to septic pumping and annual inspections, septic tank cleaning is an important part of the maintenance process. If you neglect to care for your septic system needs, you could be facing exorbitant repair costs, a destroyed yard, and a foul stench — all of which take a significant amount of time to correct. Avoid the risks and be septic smart: commit to routine septic tank cleaning and pumping and get the most out of your system.