Does my Septic Tank need Desludging
Septic Tank Desludging.
How do you know if you should be considering septic tank desludging?
To find out
- Insert a 2” x 1” wooden pole or similar into the first chamber, through the “crust”.
- Mark on the 2×1 when you feel some solids at the bottom of the tank.
- Push the 2×1 further to the bottom. Mark this also.
- Compare the depth of sludge to the total water depth.
- If the sludge is one third or more of the water depth it is time to call in the tanker.
Obviously if the tank is full and backing up to the house this is not just a matter of a quick-fix desludging but a percolation problem which requires considerable more work.
At the end of the day it is the homeowners responsibility to ensure that the septic tank and percolation area perform properly and that they do not pollute the wider environment.
Read our post on Maintenance of a Septic Tank here.
EPA Guidelines on Maintaining your Septic Tank
Read the EPA Report and Guidelines for owners of septic tanks and packaged treatment systems to help to address the lack of understanding among homeowners of how their domestic wastewater treatment systems operate and to encourage responsible operation and maintenance.
If you have any questions about septic tank desludging, follow the link below
