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When I had a septic system, I had it pumped every 10 years (1 person household). I also alternated leach fields each year. Septic systems do need to be pumped out on a regular basis. Allowing the sludge to overflow into the leach field will ruin the leach field. Aeration type systems require yearly maintenance. My City sewer costs about $40 a month, based on water usage. Unmetered systems are charged as though they use 400 gallons a day. Since I already had my own water meter on my well, I knew I used 90-100 gallons a day, and would save water with a City water meter.
I was always reluctant to recommend City water meters for neighbors, because I did not know their usage habits. If you get a meter and it turns out you have been using 1000 gallons a day for your "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", that's what you will now pay.
Septic systems vary a lot in this area. Far from an expert, but in normal soil both leach line/fields and sand filter beds are installed. If properly maintained they can work well for decades.
In some areas with heavy clay or shallow topsoil, "mound" systems are installed which are incredibly ugly. This method requires long mounds of permeable soil for each leach line, because the clay soil won't leach water from the septic system.
I would never live in a house with a septic system in a clay soil area, mound system or not. Septic system trouble will come, sooner or later.
I imagine my septic system is 40 years old. I have lived here for 16 years, and I can't imagine it was replaced previously.
I just had it pumped, and it was fine even though I should have had it pumped before. But I knew the "rules" having one before. Nothing goes down except waste and toilet paper. Not even a kleenex. Grease gets tossed and the pan wiped clean before washing. You wash paint brushes, etc at an outside spigot.
Some of what you guys are saying, though, doesn't describe my house. I do live in a rural area. I have a half acre in the midst of four other houses on our one-lane roads whose acreage range from 3-15 acres. We have city water.
I imagine my septic system is 40 years old. I have lived here for 16 years, and I can't imagine it was replaced previously.
I just had it pumped, and it was fine even though I should have had it pumped before. But I knew the "rules" having one before. Nothing goes down except waste and toilet paper. Not even a kleenex. Grease gets tossed and the pan wiped clean before washing. You wash paint brushes, etc at an outside spigot.
Some of what you guys are saying, though, doesn't describe my house. I do live in a rural area. I have a half acre in the midst of four other houses on our one-lane roads whose acreage range from 3-15 acres. We have city water.
I just bought my first home with septic. City water.
I'm doing the painting myself and each day I'm having to take my brushes to my other home or a nearby coffee shop and restaurant to clean. I can't imagine simply washing them off outside and letting all that go into my soil. Rather drive to where it flows to a water treatment facility instead.
I just bought my first home with septic. City water.
I'm doing the painting myself and each day I'm having to take my brushes to my other home or a nearby coffee shop and restaurant to clean. I can't imagine simply washing them off outside and letting all that go into my soil. Rather drive to where it flows to a water treatment facility instead.
I have always thought that septic tank was owned by the homewoner and the water was supplied by a well?
My septic was pumped in 2013 when I bought the house. Nobody mentioned how often it needed pumping for a one person household so it has not been serviced. The wild shrubs growing over or near the leach field have all died but looked healthy the first three years or so. Is that likely a problem or just coincidence? I live in the desert, on sand, and those were sage and saltbush and other similar plants.
My septic was pumped in 2013 when I bought the house. Nobody mentioned how often it needed pumping for a one person household so it has not been serviced. The wild shrubs growing over or near the leach field have all died but looked healthy the first three years or so. Is that likely a problem or just coincidence? I live in the desert, on sand, and those were sage and saltbush and other similar plants.
It could just be that the plants died because you use less water than the previous owner. Deserts, of course, have highly variable amounts of rain from year to year.
It could just be that the plants died because you use less water than the previous owner. Deserts, of course, have highly variable amounts of rain from year to year.
Yes and if the plants died due to dryness, which is probably the case unless you you see wet spots, then your septic fields are doing their job in drying out all of the effluent from the septic tank.
I just bought my first home with septic. City water.
I'm doing the painting myself and each day I'm having to take my brushes to my other home or a nearby coffee shop and restaurant to clean. I can't imagine simply washing them off outside and letting all that go into my soil. Rather drive to where it flows to a water treatment facility instead.
I can't imagine taking my dirty paint brushes to a nearby coffee shop or restaurant to clean. I bet you hide them when you do. That is just wrong.
I can't imagine taking my dirty paint brushes to a nearby coffee shop or restaurant to clean. I bet you hide them when you do. That is just wrong.
Just buy new ones. Throw the dirty ones away.
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