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- Large amounts of soap. Due to the high amount of lint and buildup of soap residue coming off a high efficient washing machine, I highly recommend installing some type of filtering device of nylon sock on the outlet side of the HE washing machine. Also, high concentration of liquid soap can cause issues within a septic system and can cause early failure. We recommend using a minimum amount or less of the soap, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets.
USA Today: What's that hard gray gunk crusting up in sewers? Soap!
- Leaky fixtures in building(s). A leaky faucet, toilet, tub or other water fixture can triple the daily flow.
- Excess water softner discharge. High sodium back-wash water inhibits microbial activity in the soil and promotes anaerobic conditions.
- Design flow for drainfield and tanks is undersized for the current usage. Extra bedrooms and/or system serving more than 2 persons per bedroom.
- Garbage disposal. Requires pumping of septic tank more frequently. Excessive use especially with grease, causes early failure. Also clogs filters on outlet side of tanks, which requires cleaning more often.
- City folks new to septic systems. Big water usage.
- Surge loading. Many loads of wash in one day. A large party with excessive water use, draining pool, Jacuzzi or spa, etc. onto or into drainfield.
- Poor soil - naturally compacted soil, hardpans, very firm soil horizons, platy soil and sand have reduced permeability after a year. Natural water content of clayey soils increases in spring and fall. Clayey soils act like sponges and effluent from drainfield competes for absorption. Nutrients from effluent in high moisture state promotes early anaerobic conditions and ponding.
- Commercial use of residential system.
- degreasers flushed into system from garage floor drains
- customers/clients/hired workers
- day care use
- take in laundry
- commercial cooking/baking/catering
- Installer incompetence.
- compacts soil during installation with equipment (driving on drainfield surface).
- frozen soil digging and/or backfill with frozen soil causing later settlings.
- very dirty gravel used - reduces infiltration capacity of soil.
- wet or highly moist soil excavation for drainfield.
- installation is not level. Effluent overloads a portion of the field.
- leaching chambers not installed properly.
- not leveling header/manifold.
- Surface water ponds over drainfield after snow-melt or heavy rainfall due to settling of ground creating a depression. Water competes with effluent for absorption into soil (anaerobic).
- Surface water flows into tanks due to settling around tanks or broken water line. Water can enter anywhere in the system - cracks in tanks, joints in tank covers and risers, sewer lines.
- Effluent overload at vent-observation pipe. When installed as a "T" on the end of the drainfield pipe, effluent drains towards this vent. Scum/solids/grease end up in this pipe and effluent shows ponding. Solid wall pipe may have been used for this vent instead of perforated pipe.
- Groundwater enters into tanks - tanks set into groundwater.
- Baffle on septic tank cracked or missing. Not cleaning filters. (Newer systems all have filters. Filters need to be cleaned every 6-12 months).
- Organic/inorganic material plugs up holes in distribution pipes - cigarette filters, tampons, baby wipes, condoms, handy wipes, sanitary napkins, grease, seeds, etc.
- Soil-drainfield life expectancy correlation (under normal use) is 12-35 years.
- Wide bed drainfields. Research shows that drainfields greater than 5 feet wide have reduced aerobic activity due to oxygen exchange below.
- Showering for long periods of time. No water saveing showerheads. Too many loads of laundry.
- Overhead eaves, footing drains or agricultural tile drains flood over or into drainfield.
- Seepage with high amounts of undecomposed organic matter (due to use of antibiotics, harsh chemicals such as paint solvents, degreasers, emulsifiers and cleaners) flows into drainfield.
- Effluent pump in pump tank not on block or has no filter - sediment on bottom sucks up into drainfield.
- Surface compaction over drainfield.
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