Holiday Stress-Free Tips for You and Your Septic

Winter is a gathering season when we invite friends and family into our homes to share warmth, kindness, and delicious food. Hosting can be a bit stressful, and the last thing you’d want is a septic system failure. 

If you have an onsite septic system (OSS) with septic tanks, drain field, and possibly other components such as a sand filter, this system treats our household sewage while  preventing pollution of our groundwater (where we get our drinking water), lakes, streams, and marine waters. 

The amusing publication “Septic Sense, Scents, and Cents: Supreme Insights to the Fearless Flush” details how to keep your system functioning well for you, your neighbors, and the environment. Terri King writes, “An ounce of maintenance can prevent the headache of a cure, especially when it comes to septic systems.” For an abundance of knowledge on how septic tanks work and practical steps you can take, we suggest you read it!

Some specific tips for the holidays include:

Portable Pleasantries

If you have a very large gathering planned, consider renting a port-a-potty. They come in different sizes and levels of “luxury.” A little oddity like a fancy outhouse is less unpleasant for guests than sewage surfacing in your yard or worse, backing up into the house during dessert.

Grease-Free

Keep grease and oils out of your system. Pour them off into tin cans, let them harden in the fridge or freezer, and throw them out if you don’t have a use for them in the future. Wipe your pans with a paper towel before washing them, too. 

Compost It!

Do not use a garbage disposal. Catch your peelings, potato eyes and carrot tops and, ideally, compost them. The bacteria in your septic system are quite fond of (ahem) pre-digested food. Raw foods simply add to your load of things that must be pumped out.

Lather Later

When your guests leave, space out your laundry loads. It’s tempting to get it all done in one day, but your septic system needs breaks between large inputs. Consider doing a load in the morning, then another that night or the next day. 

Faulty Faucets

Fix leaky faucets and toilets that keep running (you’ve been meaning to get a new flapper, haven’t you?) Constant inputs, even if small, can overwhelm a septic system.

Learn more about caring for onsite septic systems from: the Shore Stewards Guide for Shoreline Living  (it applies to those of us inland, too!) and Island County’s OSS resources.

Happy Holidays!

Written by Kathryn Wells.