If you’re used to living on a municipal sewer grid where local authorities manage the maintenance and water treatment facilities, it can be a daunting prospect to suddenly be responsible for maintaining a septic tank. You rely on your septic system to keep your home’s waste safely contained, and it is your job to keep it in good working order. We at American Waste Septic want to help homeowners like you make that transition and set your mind at ease, so in this article we’ll be going over the fundamentals of septic tank maintenance.

• Regular Pumping- The most important part of septic tank maintenance is to have your tank pumped on a regular basis to empty it of accumulated sludge. Solid wastes will remain in the tank until removed, so you’ll want to make sure that they are removed on time. Fortunately, septic companies, including our team at American Waste Septic, will happily get you set up on a regular schedule, so that you never have to worry about missing this step.
• High-Pressure Water Jetting- In addition to pumping, another key step in septic tank maintenance is to have it washed out with high-pressure jets every now and again. Even with responsible pumping, some solids will still accumulate in the pipes and decrease the drains’ effectiveness, and the best way to remove these solids is with high-pressure water jets. Our team will keep an eye on your pipes and let you know when they need to be cleaned in this way.
• Bacteria Additives- Your septic tank uses colonies of bacteria to break down solid wastes into more compact sludge. Here at American Waste Septic, we recommend that all of our clients incorporate a bacteria additive into their septic tank maintenance routine—these additives include bacteria that can break down inorganic materials like detergents and soaps. These types of chemicals can kill the bacteria already in your tank, so adding bacterial that specifically target them will help keep your tank in good working order.