SepticSmart Week September 22-26, 2014
Cat Cans Portable Services of Manhattan will join forces with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its 2nd Annual SepticSmart Week, September 22-26, to promote proper maintenance techniques for home and business septic tanks and drainfields.
Failure to maintain and service a home’s septic system can lead to system backups and overflows, which can result in costly repairs, polluted local waterways and risks to public health and the environment.
Many septic system failures occur during the winter holiday season, so the EPA is encouraging homeowners to get their septic systems inspected and serviced now before licensed inspectors’ schedules fill up around the holidays.
“By taking a few small, simple steps to care for their home septic system, homeowners can help protect the health of their community and their local waterways, while preventing potentially costly repairs to their septic system that can occur if the system is not properly maintained,” says Nancy Stoner, assistant administrator for the EPA Office or Water.
Cat Cans Portable Services wants to use this national septic awareness week as an educational tool to help you!
Taking care of your septic system can be overwhelming and a bit confusing. Here are five basic care and maintenance tips to promote a healthy septic system:
1. Get your system pumped inspected at least every 5 years by Cat Cans, a licensed contractor.
2. Avoid pouring fats, grease, and solids down the drain, which can clog a system’s pipes and drainfield.
3. Ask guests to put only things in the drain or toilet that belong there. Coffee grounds, dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts and cat litter can all clog and potentially damage septic systems.
4. Be water efficient and spread out water use. Fix plumbing leaks and install faucet aerators and water-efficient products, and spread out laundry and dishwasher loads throughout the day. Too much water at once can overload a system if it hasn’t been pumped recently.
5. Remind guests not to park or drive on a system’s drainfield, where the vehicle’s weight could damage buried pipes or disrupt underground flow.
Do your part to become SepticSmart, and take action to ensure your septic system is functioning properly.
For more information on how to care for your septic system, visit http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/septic/septicsmart.cfm
