HOME

SERVICES

 THE FACTS

TERRALIFT

FAST TREATMENT 

Day to Day Facts

(the following is a generally excepted set of standards for septic use.)

Laundry loads should be spread out over the week.
- Excessive water discharged into the septic system is known as
  "Hydraulic Overload", too much water water discharged into the septic
  system is the number one killer of drainfields.
Bleach loads - one day a week.
- One cup of bleach to a 1000 gal tank kills 80% of the beneficial bacteria
  for up to 72 hours, so doing all the bleaching at once gives the tank its
  needed recovery time.
 
DO NOT USE or dispose of the following using the system
- Grease, fats, and oils, or pesticides, herbicides or any other toxins such
  as paints, household chemicals or automobile fluids
- Excessive citrus products (oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc.)
- Non-biodegradable items such as: cigarette butts, disposable diapers,
  baby wipes, the new toilet cleaning wipes, feminine hygiene products,
  condoms, hair, coffee grounds, rags, paper towels, bandages, etc.
- Additives sold in advertising for septic systems do more harm to the
  drainfield than good for the tank. PLEASE DO NOT USE!
- Home brewery waste, antibacterial soaps and wipes should be used
  sparingly and whenever possible disposed of outside of the system
- Strong medicines (especially antibiotics) in human waste or dumped
  directly into the system
- Strong disinfectants or bleaches
- Cleaning products such as : Lysol, Pine Sol, Tidy Bowl, Drano and
  Murphy's Oil
- Downy and Snuggle water softeners, "point of delivery" water softeners
  (saline added) clog drain lines and baffles inhibiting the effluent flow:
  USE FABRIC SOFTENER DRYER SHEETS INSTEAD OF LIQUIDS IN
  THE WASHER
- If you have a garbage disposal, use it sparingly. Put food waste, grease,
  etc. into the solid waste bin or compost. Food waste creates additional
  loading of the tank which it would have to digest, increasing required
  pumping frequencies. The blades in a garbage disposal also chop
  particles so fine they neither sink nor float above grey water and then
  log filters and drain lines.
 
Recommendations
- Detergents: liquid, low sudsing, low phosphate and biodegradable
  baking soda ingredients like Gain, Dash, Arm & Hammer, Fresh Start ,
  and Bright
- Cleaning products: Liquid, non chlorine, bio-degradable and non toxic
  such as ivory and sunlight, powder cleansers such as Biz, Comet, and
  baking soda

For More information visit

the Pierce County Health Department at tpchd.org .

The Facts