Ask Holly: Septic tank tips

My conversations with readers can be interesting and sometimes quite intimate. The topics are as diverse as the people I speak with.

I usually don’t shy away from any topic, and so wasn’t surprised when one conversation turned to the toilet. Yep, you read right. I had a conversation about the porcelain throne or rather, what was at the end of the pipe, the septic tank.

A reader and I were having a discussion about waste management systems, including composting toilets, when our attention turned to the septic tank. We discussed the cost, the set-up, self-installed vs. professionally-installed and, of course, maintenance. We didn’t agree on maintenance, and that sparked the research and the topic for this column.

For those people not clear on what a septic system is, it is the waste management system for a house, usually in rural areas, not hooked into a municipal sewage system. It consists of two parts: a septic tank, which holds the solid waste, and the drain field, which leaches the liquid safely into the ground. (You can look online for a complete description of how a septic system works.)

It is important that your tank be cared for because no one wants to smell a malfunctioning septic system. The large holding tank holds bacteria that helps break down your waste.

How often should I get my tank pumped? 

Opinions vary. Most people  say anywhere from 3-5 years while others say they have never had it done and suffered no consequences. It’s for sure the right time if you smell sewage or see wet spots around the tank or drain field.

What about using septic tank activator?

Septic activator is supposed to boost the healthy bacteria that eat the waste. The consensus is you don’t need it if you are careful about what normally goes into your tank.

What should or shouldn’t go into the septic tank?

Should: human waste – Numbers 1 and 2, waste water from household fixtures.

Shouldn’t: food waste, lots of paper waste, and strong chemicals and large quantities of water.

How long will my septic system last?

Depends on how you use it, care for it and how it was built. Mine apparently will last 20-plus years if there are no problems.

What are symptoms of a problem?

Backing up of sewage in the house, smelling sewage or seeing unexplained wet spots around the drain field or tank.

What do I do if there is a problem?

You can try to figure out what is happening by getting your tank pumped and looking for wet spots that might mean a break in a pipe or the tank. As much as I like doing things for myself, there are some instances when you should call someone who gets paid to do the dirty work. I figure it can’t get dirtier than a septic system. Look in the Yellow Pages under septic.

Holly Brodhagen is a citizen of Dokis First Nation and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work. askholly@gmail.com