| When you buy a car, you are given an
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| | manhole cover, not the inspection pipe.
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| owner's manual with instructions on how
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| | Your septic contractor should also
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| to care for your car. Septic systems can
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| | install an effluent filter in the exit
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| cost as much or more than a car,
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| | baffle of the tank. Effluent filters stop
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| unfortunately nobody gives you a manual
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| | the larger solids from getting out to the
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| when they are installed. Some people
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| | drainfield. They are cleaned out every
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| don't even know they have a septic
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| | few years when you have your tank pumped.
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| system! As a result, many septic systems
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| | They are usually only about $80. Effluent
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| fail unnecessarily.
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| | filters are cheap insurance and along
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| The Price for Failure is Steep
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| | with a washing machine filter, one of the
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| The price for failure is steep in two
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| | best things you can do to protect your
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| way. More than 1200 people in the US die
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| | system.
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| each year from contaminated water, and
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| | 4. Use of Household Cleaning Products
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| failing septic systems are a leading
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| | Excessive use of these products can
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| source of waterborne disease outbreaks in
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| | contribute to septic system failure. If
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| the country today. In a 2000 EPA report,
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| | you do over 5 loads a week containing
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| 31 states listed septic systems as their
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| | bleach, problems could arise. Avoid
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| second greatest potential source of
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| | powdered detergents as they contain
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| groundwater contamination. Septic system
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| | plastic fillers that can plug up your
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| replacement is also very expensive, with
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| | lines and drain field. Also, be careful
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| costs often running from $5,000 to
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| | with harsh automatic toilet bowl
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| $20,000 or more. Fortunately, there are
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| | cleaners, which have put quite a few
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| some highly effective, ineffective steps
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| | systems out of commission.
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| you can take to eliminate this problem.
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| | 5. Should I Use a Separate System for My
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| Before discussing solutions, let's look
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| | Washing Machine?
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| at why septic systems fail.
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| | Some people say you should use a separate
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| Septic system maintenance is actually
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| | system for your washing machine, called a
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| pretty easy to understand. When a system
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| | laundry interceptor. However, this is not
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| fails, the tank itself doesn't fail- the
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| | necessary and in fact undesirable.
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| drainfield soil fails. In most cases the
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| | Washing machines should discharge into
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| soil fails when it gets plugged up with
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| | the regular system because it actually
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| solids and won't allow liquid to pass
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| | works better than discharging into its
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| through it. For example, it can get
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| | own system. In order to work, septic
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| plugged with solids from the tank if the
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| | systems require bacteria colonies which
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| tank hasn't been pumped, or with lint
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| | break down biodegradable matter. These
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| from a washing machine. Now for your
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| | bacteria require "food" which is found in
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| solutions:
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| | our wastewater, but not in detergent.
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| 1. Use a washing machine filter.
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| | Without "food" these bacteria colonies
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| Did you know that washing machines are a
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| | die out and the system fails. Many people
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| leading cause of septic system failure?
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| | who have installed these systems have
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| The primary culprit is lint generated by
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| | found this out the hard way. A research
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| washing machines, which clogs the soil in
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| | project conducted in several east coast
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| drain fields. Did you know that a typical
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| | states utilized some rather high tech
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| family washing machine produces enough
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| | systems for washing machine discharge and
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| lint each year to carpet and entire
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| | many began failing in as little as eight
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| living room floor! Lint screens and nylon
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| | months.
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| traps found in hardware stores trap 5% or
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| | Maintenance Tips:
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| less of these particles. Because they are
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| | Do: divert surface runoff water from
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| so light and small, the lint particles do
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| | roofs, patios, driveways and other areas
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| not settle out in the septic tank.
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| | away from your drainfield.
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| Instead, they stay in suspension and are
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| | Have your septic tank pumped regularly.
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| flushed out to the drain field, where
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| | It should also be inspected for leaks,
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| they plug up the pores of the soil bed.
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| | cracks and to make sure the exit baffle
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| To compound the problem, much of our
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| | is in place.
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| clothing is now manufactured with
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| | Install lint and effluent filters.
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| synthetic materials such as polyester and
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| | Spread out your laundry loads.
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| nylon. These substances are not
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| | Compost your garbage or put it in the
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| biodegradable, and will not break down in
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| | trash
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| a septic system. Instead, they accumulate
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| | Don't:
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| and plug the soil. Once these materials
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| | Use a garbage disposal.
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| enter the soil, there is no way to remove
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| | These appliances normally double the
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| them.
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| | amount of solids added to the tank!
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| The good news is that lint can be
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| | Flush sanitary napkins, disposable
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| prevented from entering the septic system
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| | diapers or other non-biodegradable
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| through the use of a reusable, inline
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| | products into your system.
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| filter which attaches to your washing
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| | Dump solvents, oils, paint thinners,
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| machine discharge hose. The filter,
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| | disinfectants, pesticides or poisons down
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| called the Filtrol 160, retails for
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| | the drain as they can disrupt the
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| $139.95.
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| | treatment process and contaminate the
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| 2. Avoid Excessive Water Use
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| | groundwater.
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| You can also damage your septic system by
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| | Dig in your drainfield or build anything
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| doing a large number of laundry loads in
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| | over it.
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| a short period of time. In standard
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| | Drive over your drainfield or compact the
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| septic systems, solid materials settle in
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| | soil in any way.
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| the tank, while effluent flows out into
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| | Plant trees or shrubbery close to the
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| the ground. If you put more water into
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| | septic system, because the roots can get
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| the system than it is built to handle,
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| | in the lines and plug them. Grass is the
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| the high volume of water will flood your
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| | only thing that should be planted on or
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| system, and can also stir up and flush
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| | near a drainfield.
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| solids out of the tank into the drain
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| | If Your System Fails
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| field (in fact, septic pumpers use water
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| | In quite a few cases, a tune-up can fix
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| from their hoses to help break up solids
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| | your system and you can avoid the high
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| in your tank before pumping them out). A
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| | costs of replacing the system. This
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| typical washing machine can use up to 60
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| | tuneup includes properly pumping the
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| gallons of water per wash load. On a
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| | tank, cleaning (jetting) the drainfield
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| heavy day you can easily put 400, 500 or
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| | lines, and installing washing machine and
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| 600 gallons of water through the system
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| | effluent filters. If these measures are
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| in a few hours. The solution is to spread
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| | not sufficient, some failed systems can
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| out your water use. Do one or two loads
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| | be rejuvenated by fracturing the soil.
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| of laundry per day, rather than 10-12
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| | This process utilizes a hollow tube
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| loads on Saturday morning. Water
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| | inserted into the soil, then a 300 pound
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| softeners can also damage your system by
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| | blast or air is injected into the soil
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| putting too much water through the septic
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| | creating thousands of tiny fissures.
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| system. These devices can put several
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| | These fissures allow the drainfield to
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| hundred gallons of water down the dr!ain
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| | drain, creating an oxygen atmosphere and
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| every week, water that is not
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| | the aerobic bacterial colonies to
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| contaminated and does not need to go
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| | repopulate. Aerobic bacteria, which
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| through the treatment process.
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| | require oxygen, typically live in the top
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| There are a couple solutions to this
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| | 26 inches of the drainfield and process
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| problem. You can upgrade your softener
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| | waste much more quickly than anaerobic
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| with a newer efficient model that uses
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| | bacteria. This process can be performed
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| less water and regenerates on demand,
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| | in a matter of hours with no digging or
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| instead of a timer system that
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| | damage to the yard. One company which
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| regenerates whether you use water or not.
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| | performs this service is Terralift
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| You can also install a mini septic system
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| | International (
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| for your water softener.
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| | If you have a clay soil which has become
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| 3. Prevent Solids from Leaving the Tank
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| | plugged due to sodium from wastewater
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| First of all, you should get your tank
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| | binding with the clay, Septic Seep can
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| pumped on a regular basis to prevent
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| | help. These product releases sodium
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| excessive accumulation of solids in the
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| | bonded clays and reopens soil, restoring
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| tank. Under normal conditions, you should
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| | passages air and water. It also has the
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| have the tank inspected and pumped every
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| | benefit of dispersing greases and scums
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| 1-3 years. Very important: tanks should
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| | that clog the soil.
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| be pumped and inspected through the
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|
