Flush only human waste and toilet paper. EPA says items such as wipes, diapers, dental floss, cat litter and paper towels should never go down a toilet connected to a septic system.
EPA names wipes, diapers, dental floss, cat litter and paper towels. Riverside County's brochure adds feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts and coffee grounds. EPA's homebuyer guide groups these as cloggers: diapers, baby wipes, cat litter, cigarettes, coffee grounds, grease and feminine hygiene products.
The tank is not a trash can. The county's rule of thumb is not to use the septic system for anything that can be disposed of another way.
EPA's homebuyer guide calls these killers: household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, paint and high amounts of anti-bacterial soaps and detergents. EPA also advises against pouring grease, oil, paint, solvents or large amounts of toxic cleaners down the drain.
For a clogged drain, EPA suggests boiling water or a drain snake instead of chemical drain openers.
Limit the disposal. EPA says food waste adds solids that can fill the tank and clog the drain field, and that a disposal means the tank will need pumping more often. Riverside County also tells owners to avoid using the garbage disposal.
EPA does not recommend septic additives. It says the tank already holds large numbers of microorganisms, and that additives can be ineffective or harmful. Organic solvent or strong alkali products can threaten soil and groundwater.
Riverside County's brochure sums up maintenance in three steps:
Less water means less for the drain field to absorb. EPA says indoor use can reach 70 gallons per person per day, and one leaking toilet can add up to 200 gallons a day. Spread laundry across the week so the drain field does not take it all at once, and fix leaks quickly. Riverside County calls water conservation the cheapest and easiest way to protect a septic system. EPA says toilets account for 25 to 30 percent of household water use, and high-efficiency models use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
Call a licensed septic pro if something that should not have been flushed went down, or if drains slow after a clog.
EPA names wipes among the items that should never be flushed into a septic system. It does not make an exception for wipes labeled flushable.
Yes. EPA says to flush only human waste and toilet paper.
No. EPA says to avoid pouring grease and oil down drains.
EPA lists large amounts of toxic cleaners and high amounts of anti-bacterial soaps among the things to avoid. Ask your septic pro about the specific products you use.
Antelope Valley Septic is a free referral service, not a contractor. Request a free quote from a local septic contractor.