Cat litter, coffee grinds, dental floss, condoms, cigarette butts, diapers, aquarium gravel, socks, toys, spare change, etc., should never be flushed down your toilet if you intend to keep your pipes and septic system functioning properly.

What goes for your toilet also pertains to your sink, shower and bathtub drains since all goes through the same pipes and ends up in your septic or sewer system. Even if you have a garbage disposal, it is best to use it as sparingly as possible in order to avoid pipe buildup/clogs. Also, food fragments, even after ground down in a garbage disposal, do not breakdown as well as human waste.

SMART WATER CONSERVATION

Water conservation is important in the Quad City area that SMART Plumbing & Septic serves. Not only is it important for conserving the precious resource itself, it also conserves your hard earned $$$ whether you are on a public sewer system or your own septic system.

Water is not getting any cheaper on public systems. Conserving it is SMART money in the bank. If your water supply comes from your own well and flows through your septic system, it is important to conserve it as pragmatically as possible.

Septic systems can be damaged by being subjected to a water flow that is greater than they are designed for. That design is based on the usage expectations of the original design of the home or building, based on occupancy, number of bathrooms, and other factors.

If the original design was for a three bedroom, two bath house, and a bedroom and or bathroom has been added, and/or the occupancy has increased the increased water usage may overwhelm your septic system. The same goes for businesses and shops. If your septic system becomes overwhelmed it will lead to expensive repairs and (worse) it could lead to contamination of your water supply, and possibly a neighbor’s.

To avoid expensive system failures and water expense we suggest the following SMART ways to conserve water:

1. A SMART Inspection of your plumbing, septic, and sewer system will identify any problems, including expensive leaks. If there are any issues, the SMART Plumbing & Septic tech will explain your options for rectifying them, always including our SMART Solution.

2. Consider installing faucet aerators and high efficiency shower heads in order to reduce overall water use and load on your septic system.

3. Use your washing machine efficiently. Avoid washing small loads on the large load cycle. Avoid doing multiple loads of wash on the same day in order to not overwhelm your septic system. Try to spread the loads out over the week. When it is time to replace your washing machine, consider replacing it with an Energy Star labeled model which will save 50% on water usage and 35% on energy.

4. Consider installing high efficiency toilets that can save 50-70% on your toilet water usage.

Review; Flush only human waste and toilet paper down your toilet, and limit what you put down your drains as much as possible, including with your garbage disposal. Conserve overall water usage as much as is comfortably feasible.

SMART Solution; consider having a SMART Plumbing & Septic Technician thoroughly inspect your plumbing, septic or sewer systems for any issues that may be damaging your system or otherwise costing you $$$ and frustration.

Call, text or email us today, and a SMART Tech will be on the way! Do not wait until your system fails. We are here to save you $$$ and stress, including 24/7 emergencies. Serving Chino Valley, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, and surrounding areas. Call (928) 227-2091 

In future blog entries we will explore in more depth common issues with septic tanks and drainfields.

We await your call or email to offer you the SMART Solution to your septic and plumbing issues. Be a SepticSMART home or business owner and take advantage of our special offer with every septic tank pumping today!!