THE FACTS - Septic Installation in Burien, Renton, Issaquah, & North Bend, WA

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 discharged into the septic system is the number one killer of drain fields.

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 drain field than good for the tank. PLEASE DO NOT USE!

Consumer Warning

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.