Key Signs of a Failing Septic System?
What is a failing septic system? – How can I fix my failing septic system?
US EPA reports that approximately 25% of North American households (an estimated 60 million people rely on septic systems to treat wastewater. Approximately 10% of these (~ 6 million) suffer from failure in any given year.
For the individual homeowner the cost of replacing a failing septic system can be a real issue with replacement tanks and leach-fields costing upwards of $30,000. Potential ecological impacts of failing or poorly installed on-site wastewater treatment systems are varied, but often include eutrophication of waterways with blue green algae and bacterial contamination of aquatic systems.
To make everything very clear our in-house septic system expert, Mr. Michael Deighan identifies the signs of septic system failure into three separate groupings.
1. Issues in the Home
– Backup of sewage in your drains or toilets – this can often a black type liquid with a disagreeable odor.
– Decreased flushing of your toilets
– Decreased drain flow from showers and sinks
– Unpleasant odors in your home
2. Issues with your Tank
– Over-flowing or near over-flowing septic tank
– High solids accumulation in the septic tank
3. Issues with the Leach-Field and Surrounding Environment
– Water accumulating / wet patches in the leach field
– Lush green grass through-out the year, especially if the surrounding garden is significantly different.
– Presence of contamination (e.g. nitrates, bacteria) in your well water is potentially a major health hazard and is a very clear indication that your septic system is not performing adequately.
– Accumulation of algae and aquatic weeds in adjacent lakes, ponds, streams is a clear indication that your septic system is under performing and contaminants / nutrients are migrating from your septic system.
What to do? – Is There a Low-Cost Solution?
If you think your system may be underperforming and is potentially failing we recommend the following steps:
- To improve the performance and increase the life-time of your system we recommend homeowners consider including the ClearPodTM Treatment Unit.
The ClearPodTM unit uses a combination of optimized plastic surface area (this allows us to grow a high concentration of wastewater treating bacteria in your system) and the addition of oxygen. By combining these two aspects this allows us to increase the relative microbial activity in the system and promotes the removal of wastewater contaminants from the system. By developing simultaneous aerobic and anaerobic zones in the tank we remove up to 85% of key wastewater contaminants in the septic tank.
The increased number and activity of the microbes results in cleaner water leaving the system and improvement in the leachfield soil quality.
ClearPod is a low-cost, drop-in solution that cleans the wastewater in the septic tank!
Cleaner water leaving the septic tank means less stress on the leachfield which allows the system to recover.
We ship ClearPod units direct to the homeowner.
Installation is easy and usually takes approximately 1 hour.
2: We also recommend including a septic tank efflunet filter. This filter will function to significantly reduce the insoluble organic contaminants from leaving the septic system and negatively affecting the drainage / leach field. These filters are mandatory in 50 U.S. counties, as well as in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Connecticut. In Canada septic filters are mandatory in the province of Ontario.
3: Contact a local contractor and get your system pumped out! It is generally required that every septic system is pumped out every 2 – 3 years.
For more information and request information on purchase and direct shipping call Mike Deighan at +1 902 940 0836 or email mdeighan@islandwatertech.com
