🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> you write:
>
>We have a septic tank that is working fine.  It was pumped about 1 year
>ago when we moved into the house, because there was some damage to it
>that needed to be fixed.  
>I have treated it twice with a bacterial agent that is supposed to be
>added "every 6 months".  
>I use only bacterial drain cleaner; no lye-based or industrial-strength
>drain unstoppers.
>Does anyone know if bleach will destroy my carefully cultivated bacterial
>colony and/or hurt my septic tank in any way?
>What about Clorox 2?
>Is there anything that whitens like bleach and yet is safe?
>
>
>
>-- 
>C. Allan Rofer                    INTERNET: allan@dbaccess.com
>c/o DB Access Inc.                UUCP: {uunet,mips}!troi!allan
>2900 Gordon Avenue, Suite 101     FAX: (408) 735-0328
>Santa Clara, CA 95051             TEL: (408) 735-7545


I'm on my fourth house with a septic sytem (three states).
1)  enzyme "helpers" are not needed.  waste of money!
2)  get pumped every 3 - 5 years dependent on design, usage,
    soil conditions etc.  if you have to pump more than every
    2 years you have a very marginal system.  never go more than
     6 - 7 years even with a mega-system and no teen-agers.
3)  bleaches, drain cleaners, soaps etc. in non-industrial
    quantities will not hurt septic systems measurably.  you
    do want to avoid fats/grease and disposals which will push
    virtually indestructible rinds etc. into the system.

BDW

Path: troi!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!princeton!njsmu!mccc!pjh
From: pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg)
Newsgroups: misc.rural,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Septic System Failure
Message-ID: <1991Apr18.154357.5066@mccc.edu>
Date: 18 Apr 91 15:43:57 GMT
References: <1991Apr16.140542.23464@dg-rtp.dg.com>
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Lines: 23

In article <1991Apr16.140542.23464@dg-rtp.dg.com> harrism@dg-rtp.dg.com writes:
=Another word to the wise is to be cautious about calling your county
=sanitary engineer in. I've heard quite a few horror stories about the 
=county engineers. They go by the "book", usually aren't very experienced,
=and you usually get screwed. If nothing else, your system is "marked"
=as having had problems which can be a problem when selling your house.
=Even if it was just a few roots, it's now "marked" by the county. This,
=unfortunately makes it harder to ensure your're getting good advice from
=the septice contractors.

I don't know about the county, but the local townships frequently have
very experienced engineers working for them.  My colleague next door is
an example of one.  When I had septic system problems in my old house,
he recommended calling in a private register professional engineer
rather than a government guy, so you are definitely correct about being
"marked" if the govvies find out about your "illegalities"!

Pete
-- 
Prof. Peter J. Holsberg      Mercer County Community College
Voice: 609-586-4800          Engineering Technology, Computers and Math
UUCP:...!princeton!mccc!pjh  1200 Old Trenton Road, Trenton, NJ 08690
Internet: pjh@mccc.edu	     Trenton Computer Festival -- 4/20-21/91
Path: troi!mips!pacbell.com!pacbell!premenos!mtdiablo!rob
From: rob@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US (Rob Bernardo)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Keywords: Bleach septic
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.144608.29114@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US>
Date: 19 Apr 91 14:46:08 GMT
References: <1991Apr16.143738.1842@colorado.edu> <1991Apr17.151415.10963@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US> <1991Apr18.142523.3003@colorado.edu>
Organization: Mt. Diablo Software Solutions
Lines: 72

springer@khonshu.Colorado.EDU (Jann Springer) wrote:
>In article <1991Apr17.151415.10963@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US> rob@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US (Rob Bernardo) writes:
>>springer@khonshu.Colorado.EDU (Jann Springer) wrote:
>>>I would guess that the bleach would certainly do you no favors.
>>>Bleach is very effective at killing alot of types of bacteria
>>>and it wouldn't surprise me if you could possibly wipe your
>>>bacterial colony in your tank.

>>The question is *would* it? Speculation is fine, but I think
>>Alan was already speculating and wanted some facts.

>I was simply offering an opinion based on my experience with
>using bleach as a disinfectant. I don't see you offering any
>facts either. You also needn't be so rude.

I think the original poster wanted facts not opinions. This reminds
me of a story. A teacher asked the class about some historical event,
like, "When did the American Revolution begin?" A student replied
with something like "1855". The teacher pointed out that the student
was wrong. The student rebutted, "But that's my opinion. It can't
be wrong."

I didn't want to be rude; sorry for my impatience. But speculation
(and "opinions") don't really count as an answer.

>>> The bleach would also stay
>>>resident for awhile and may cause the tank to not work as
>>>well since it would inhibit bacterial growth.

>>Yes, of course, but for how long and to what degree? Enough to be
>>*sufficiently dangerous* to the functioning of the sceptic tank?

>IMHO, yes it would cause the tank to lose function if in sufficient
>quanity. For how long and to what degree would depend on the amount
>used and/or how often, which he did not specify.

But that's almost tautological. Almost every issue of poisoning something
is a matter of degree. The important thing is *to what degree*.

>>>I lived in house that had a septic tank and we were instructed to
>>>pour a tablespoon of yeast down the toilet once a month to keep
>>>the tank functioning. Seemed to work great.

>>Yeast does nothing for sceptic tanks, I understand.

>Is this fact or speculation on your part?

Neither. I thought the "I understand" would indicate that this is
merely what I've heard. I was only indicating that I've heard
otherwise, the implication being that one might not take your advice
at face value since others disagree.

> I found it to work
>fine...the tank never needed to be pumped out and never indicated
>any loss of function. The people who owned the house before us
>had been using yeast for at least 10 years. Being that the tank
>was supposedly a smaller one, something must have been working
>to keep it from needing pumped.

How do you know whether the yeast played any role in the tank's wellbeing?
Here's more anecdotal data: my tank hadn't been pumped in 36 years
before it got full.

>Unless you have some more accurate information to offer, may I 
>suggest you go point your fingers elsewhere. I was offering an 
>*opinion* based my past experience and thought Allan might find 
>it helpful.

I had higher respect for Allan's question. :-@ (meoooooowwww)
-- 
Rob Bernardo					Mt. Diablo Software Solutions
email: rob@mtdiablo.Concord.CA.US		phone: (415) 827-4301
Path: troi!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!uflorida!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!delta!mayne
From: mayne@delta.cs.fsu.edu (William Mayne)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Message-ID: <1991Apr21.112719.29197@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Date: 21 Apr 91 15:55:30 GMT
References: <1991Apr18.142523.3003@colorado.edu> <51667@apple.Apple.COM> <91109.024036LNF@psuvm.psu.edu>
Reply-To: mayne@cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State University Dept. of Computer Science
Lines: 14

In article <91109.024036LNF@psuvm.psu.edu> LNF@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>I was always curious as to the effect of chlorinated water on the
>septic system.

My neighbor has a septic tank and is hooked up to a chlorinated
water supply. He has been there several years and has never had
a problem. I'm told that at least where I live, where the soil
drains very well, septic tanks are virtually maintenance free.
They go for years without needing pumping. Some people put
microorganism cultures (.e.g. Ridex) down the toilet as a precaution,
but tanks aren't pumped until a problem develops. If it ain't broke,
don't fix it.

Bill Mayne
Path: troi!mips!pacbell.com!pacbell!sactoh0!dspeed
From: dspeed@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Dave Speed)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Summary: There seems to be a *lot* of variation
Keywords: Bleach septic
Message-ID: <1991Apr21.223802.25309@sactoh0.sac.ca.us>
Date: 21 Apr 91 22:38:02 GMT
References: <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> <1991Apr16.143738.1842@colorado.edu> <1991Apr18.142523.3003@colorado.edu>
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix
Lines: 23

My parent's house in western Pennsylvania had a septic tank for
20+ years.  During that time, it was pumped out once; I take
this as successful operation 8^)

Mom used liquid bleach (Chlorox or equiv.) without any
restraints. I developed film, mostly 35 mm slides with
bromine bleach, say 200 rolls over 4 years.

No problems.

In retrospect, it was not a good idea, and I would not
do it again, but some systems seem to work with whatever
is thrown at them, and some are fussy.  Perhaps the habits
of the occupants of the dwelling and their health have a
bearing on this.



-- 
 Dave Speed - d.b.a warp speed; data purveyors since 1989
 dspeed@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US or dspeed@well.SF.CA.US 
 8908 Van Gogh Circle, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 BELL: (916) 863-7226
 # include standard disclaimer # include cute quote
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From: harbour@vf.jsc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks (Re: novice questions)
Message-ID: <1991Apr22.135737.1@vf.jsc.nasa.gov>
Date: 22 Apr 91 19:57:37 GMT
References: <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> <3069@happym.WA.COM> <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net>
Sender: news@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (USENET News System)
Organization: NASA Johnson Space Flight Center
Lines: 76

In article <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net>, jscott@mandata@uunet.uu.net (Jeff Scott) writes:
> In article <3069@happym.WA.COM> josh@happym.WA.COM (Joshua_Putnam) writes:
>> ...
>>According to the Health Dept.:
>> ...
>>
>>4.  The County's main recommendations are: pump the system as often as 
>>needed to keep the solids in the tank where they belong; don't dispose 
>>of industrial chemicals down the drain; don't park your car or plant 
>>trees on your drainfield; and if your yard smells bad, check for 
>>problems.  
> 
> Some novice questions:

All of my answers (opinions) are based on information I gathered from
various sources when my septic system started acting up.  I ended up
having to replace the whole thing because the septic tank was installed
wrong and the drain field was full of sludge.  In addition, the county
code had been changed from when I bought my house, and my system no-
longer met the code.  Bummer.

> 
> 	1. How do you know how often to have it pumped?

If you really want to, you can open up the inspection hole on your septic
tank(s) and use a long stick to see how much sludge is on the bottom.  I
don't really know for sure, but I'd think that if your tank was half full
of sludge it could probably stand to be pumped.  One note: my original
tank was one of the plastic jobbies and didn't have an inspection hole.
I had to uncover the whole tank to inspect it and have it pumped.

With that said, I imagine that most people are only prodded into action
when the toilets back up.  This is probably not a good idea since you
want to keep sludge out of your drain field at all costs.

The contractor that replaced my system recommended having it inspected
and/or pumped every couple of years.  This varies depending on usage and
how much non-biodegradable stuff you feed your system.

> 	2. Do they disturb a lot of soil when they do it?

All they need to do is uncover the inspection hole.  How much this
disturbes the soil kinda depends on how deeply the tank(s) are buried
and how concerned the workers are about your landscaping :-).

> 	3. What will it cost?

About 2 years ago it cost me $80 (Houston, TX area) to have a single
500 gallon tank pumped.

> 	4. There seems to be alot of discussion on the point of
> 	   whether to periodically add Ridex (sp?) or something
> 	   like that.  In fact, someone from our environmental
> 	   dept. informally suggested that we add it periodically.
> 	   Any additional opinions.  Someone already suggested yeast.
> 

The septic contractor that replaced my system said that stuff doesn't help.

He said that if you follow a few simple rules you'll be fine:
a.  Don't put anything down the drain that isn't intended to go there.
    Interesting note:  He said that toilet tissue is fine, but facial
    tissue isn't.  Wet wipes (moist towlettes) are a definite no-no.
    Basically you only want easily bio-degradable stuff in there.
b.  Every septic system has a limit on how much water it can handle.
    This is based on soil permiability, moisture content, humidity, etc.
    As long as you keep your water usage below this limit, you'll be fine.
c.  Have the tank(s) pumped out (or at least inspected - you can do it
    yourself) every couple of years.

> 				jeff scott
> 				jscott@mandata@uunet.uu.net

I hope this sheds a little light.
-- 
Jeff   :   harbour@vf.jsc.nasa.gov   :   .sig void where prohibited by law
Path: troi!mips!sgi!decwrl!stanford.edu!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!ns!news
From: muchow@zebo.network.com (Jim Muchow)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Septic Tanks
Keywords: Bleach septic
Message-ID: <1991Apr22.184439.18142@ns.network.com>
Date: 22 Apr 91 18:44:39 GMT
References: <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> <3069@happym.WA.COM> <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net>
Sender: news@ns.network.com
Organization: Network Systems Corporation
Lines: 49
Nntp-Posting-Host: zebo

In article <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net> jscott@mandata@uunet.uu.net (Jeff Scott) writes:

>Some novice questions:
>
>	1. How do you know how often to have it pumped?

The reason you pump is to remove an excessive build-up of solids that have
not/will not/ aren't being "liquefied". I would guess that if the amount
of solids in the tank is significant the disposal system will have more
and difficulty pushing the waste water into the tank - eventually causing
a backup.

The pumping industry will tell you at least every other year. This may or
may not be too frequently. 

Note, that for pretty obvious reasons, the amount of solids you put in 
the tank is the main factor for frequency of pumping. Using a garbage 
disposal and flushing feminine hygiene material will load the system 
excessively requiring pumping more frequently.  Using detergents with 
heavy chemical ingredients and (the ultimate stupidity) dumping real 
poisons (paint thinner, motor oil,...) will retard the ability of the 
system to perform its work which will also result in having to pump the 
system more frequently.

>	2. Do they disturb a lot of soil when they do it?

Our pumper is able to use the inspection pipes - no disturbance at all.
Some systems may require a little digging to the tank cover. If you lost
the drain field map, the pumper may have to dig a bit to find the tank.

>	3. What will it cost?

Our pumper charged about 60/70 bucks, no digging of course.

>	4. There seems to be alot of discussion on the point of
>	   whether to periodically add Ridex (sp?) or something
>	   like that.  In fact, someone from our environmental
>	   dept. informally suggested that we add it periodically.
>	   Any additional opinions.  Someone already suggested yeast.

A well functioning system *shouldn't* need any help. I would guess that 
unless a system is being excessively polluted with anti-bacterial agents
or once was and hasn't recovered, that one is literally pouring money down
the drain. This is probably a classic case of modern American capitalism:
the makers of septic system additives could make bigger profits if
their remedy for poorly functioning systems (the few) could be marketed as
a preventative for all systems (the many). 

Jim Muchow
Path: troi!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!sumax!halcyon!happym!josh
From: josh@happym.WA.COM (Joshua_Putnam)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Message-ID: <3160@happym.WA.COM>
Date: 23 Apr 91 17:50:04 GMT
References: <1991Apr18.142523.3003@colorado.edu> <51667@apple.Apple.COM> <91109.024036LNF@psuvm.psu.edu> <1991Apr21.112719.29197@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Organization: Happy Man Corp., Vashon Island, WA
Lines: 55

Since people keep asking for something more than conjecture, I stopped 
by the library over the weekend and picked up a brochure from the 
Seattle/King County Dept. of Public Health entitled "Take Care of Your 
Septic Tank."  As I mentioned in an earlier post, Vashon Island has 
thousands of septic systems, dozens of which are failing and leaking 
into Puget Sound, so the County has been making a strong educational 
pitch for better maintenance.  

Two relevant excerpts: 

[begin quoted material #1] 

DON'T ADD SEPTIC TANK ADDITIVES 

Everything necessary for a septic tank to function properly is 
naturally found in wastes.  You don't need to add chemicals, yeasts, 
bacteria, enzymes, or other products which claim to improve the 
operation of a septic tank system.  Some of these products may actually 
harm your system by allowing sludge and scum to float out into the 
drainfield and clog it.  They may also contribute to the contamination 
of the groundwater.  

[end quoted material] 

(Note for those who care: in the above paragraph, "sludge" is the 
heavy insoluble material that sinks to the bottom of the tank; "scum" 
is the light insoluble material that floats to the top.  A 
properly-functioning tank feeds the drainfield from between the two 
layers.)  

[begin quoted material #2] 

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU FLUSH INTO YOUR SEPTIC TANK 

Don't flush oil, grease, plastic products, disposable diapers, rags, 
paper towels, cigarette butts, or other harmful materials into your 
septic tank.  Because they do not decompose well, they can clog the 
system or can increase the frequency of pumping.  Repairing a clogged 
septic tank system can be costly.  

.... 

If you have a garbage disposal avoid using it, because it will 
significantly increase the need for pumping.  

[end quoted material]

One final note for those who haven't figured it out already, the 
Health Dept. advises that opening up your tank and checking the sludge 
depth, baffles, etc., "is not pleasant."  
-- 
 Josh_Putnam@happym.wa.com      Happy Man Corp.  206/463-9399 x102
 4410 SW Pt. Robinson Rd., Vashon Island, WA  98070-7399  fax x108
 We publish SOLID VALUE for the intelligent investor.    (NextMail
 Info. free (sample $20): E-mail patty@happym.wa.com.    okay too)
Path: troi!mips!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!sumax!thebes!happym!josh
From: josh@happym.WA.COM (Joshua_Putnam)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in septic tanks
Summary: EPA says it's OK
Message-ID: <3170@happym.WA.COM>
Date: 24 Apr 91 16:25:36 GMT
References: <3160@happym.wa.com>
Organization: Happy Man Corp., Vashon Island, WA
Lines: 44

I was at the library again last night, and since people had asked for 
a reference more readily available in other states that a King County 
Health Dept. brochure, I looked at the septic tank shelf in our 
reference section, and came up with: _Design Manual: Onsite Wastewater 
Treatment and Disposal Systems_, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Washington, DC. 

The EPA has this to say about what you put in your tank: 

"Special additives are not needed to improve or assist tank operation 
once it is under way.  No chemical additives are needed to "clean" 
septic tanks.  Such compounds may cause sludge bulking and decreased 
sludge digestion.  However, ordinary amounts of bleaches, lyes, 
caustics, soaps, detergents, and drain cleaners do not harm the 
system.  Other preparations, some of which claim to eliminate the need 
for septic tank pumping, are not necessary for proper operation and 
are of questionable value.  

Materials not readily decomposed (e.g., sanitary napkins, coffee 
grounds, cooking fats, bones, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, 
facial tissues, cigarette butts) should never be flushed into a septic 
tank.  They will not degrade in the tank, and can clog inlets, 
outlets, and the disposal system."  

[all on p.112]

Elsewhere there is an estimate that using a garbage disposal increases 
tank buildups 37% for the average home.  

The _Manual_ also gives details of how to check scum and sludge 
thickness, what not to do when pumping out the tank, and other 
practical information.  It also has data on alternatives to 
traditional septic systems, such as mounds, sand filters, etc., and 
explains what assumptions go into design formulas (e.g., the average 
person puts 45 gallons a day into a septic system, so they use 150 
gallons a day per person to be on the safe side.)  

Hope this answers everybody's questions.  

-- 
 Josh_Putnam@happym.wa.com      Happy Man Corp.  206/463-9399 x102
 4410 SW Pt. Robinson Rd., Vashon Island, WA  98070-7399  fax x108
 We publish SOLID VALUE for the intelligent investor.    (NextMail
 Info. free (sample $20): E-mail patty@happym.wa.com.    okay too)
Path: troi!mips!sgi!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!bbn.com!star-trek!levin
From: levin@star-trek.bbn.com (Joel B Levin)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Keywords: Bleach septic
Message-ID: <6084@archive.BBN.COM>
Date: 24 Apr 91 20:13:23 GMT
References: <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> <3069@happym.WA.COM> <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net>
Sender: news@bbn.com
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jscott@mandata@uunet.uu.net (Jeff Scott) writes:

>	1. How do you know how often to have it pumped?
Play it by ear.  Do it after a year, and ask the guy if it could have
waited two years.  Two years has been OK for me (actually it's two and
a half now, I'd better get cracking).

>	2. Do they disturb a lot of soil when they do it?
If you don't know where the tank top is, it may take a bit of digging
around to find it.  I know about where it is, so I have to dig down
maybe 4-6 inches to clear a hatch less than a foot square.  (Lots of
installations have a tank cover above ground.)

>	3. What will it cost?
Varies by area, how much hose they guys use to reach your tank from
their truck, and what they are currently paying to dump their trucks.
It seems to cost me $75 or so these days (well 2.5 years ago), maybe
it was about $60 4.5 years ago.

>	4. There seems to be alot of discussion on the point of
>	   whether to periodically add Ridex (sp?) or something
I don't know.  The guy who pumps my tank said dumping some sugar or
sweet stuff was good enough (and that freezing would be bad for it,
since it was emptied in November).  Once it had some liquid in it this
wasn't a problem, because of the quantity and because of the hot water
that went into it.

Good luck.

	/JBL
=
Nets: levin@bbn.com  | "How does a mouse let me move the cursor anywhere 
 or {...}!bbn!levin  |  I want?"  "What are address busses?"  "How do 
pots: (617)873-3463  |  icons work?"              --Time-Life Books
Path: troi!mips!daver!ditka!mcdchg!ast!smith!leah
From: leah@smith.CHI.IL.US (L.A.Z. Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Bleach in Septic Tanks
Keywords: Bleach septic
Message-ID: <333@smith.CHI.IL.US>
Date: 21 Apr 91 00:26:04 GMT
References: <1330@troi.dbaccess.com> <3069@happym.WA.COM> <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net>
Reply-To: leah@smith.UUCP (L.A.Z. Smith)
Organization: R. H. E. Smith Corp., Wheeling, IL
Lines: 50

In article <1991Apr18.134626.2841@mandata@uunet.uu.net> jscott@mandata@uunet.uu.net (Jeff Scott) writes:
>Some novice questions:
>
>	1. How do you know how often to have it pumped?
>	2. Do they disturb a lot of soil when they do it?
>	3. What will it cost?
>	4. There seems to be alot of discussion on the point of
>	   whether to periodically add Ridex (sp?) or something
>	   like that.  In fact, someone from our environmental
>	   dept. informally suggested that we add it periodically.
>	   Any additional opinions.  Someone already suggested yeast.
>

One thing I've learned in our 4-1/2 years of owning a septic tank is not to
try to grow grass over its access cover.  They don't disturb *a lot* of
soil, but there's about a yard-square spot that gets dug up every time
they have to snake or pump.

I've posted on this subject before, but it seems it's time to do so
again:  An excellent book on septic systems is "Country Plumbing: Living 
with a Septic System," by Gerry Hartigan, 1984, Alan C. Hood & Co.  It's 
available from the publisher at P.O. Box 1, Putney, VT 05346 for $8.95, 
including postage.

Hartigan put in 25 years as an installer and servicer of septic systems
and writes both amusingly and informatively on the subject, giving
step-by-step directions.  I highly recommend it.

He says the tank enzymes aren't usually necessary. Avoid colored toilet
paper, drain cleaners, coffee grounds and large amounts of bleach.  
(If you use a lot of bleach in your laundry you may want to route your 
washing machine to a separate drainage ditch.  Our house was set up that
 way when we bought it.  But check local ordinances regarding disposal of 
gray water.)

Something Hartigan said, which suprised me, is that septic tanks seem 
to work better with the addition of ground kitchen refuse.  That prompted 
my husband to give me a garbage disposal for Christmas.

How often to have your tank pumped depends on how big it is and how many
people use your plumbing.  Hartigan suggests that a 1,000-gallon tank 
at a four-person household will probably need pumping every 5 years, but
he says that's only a rule of thumb.  We have a 750-gallon tank at a 
two-person house.  The people who sold us our house supposedly had it
pumped before closing, but we needed it pumped again after three years.
I think it cost about $75.

---
L.A.Z. Smith                  leah@smith.uucp       leah@smith.chi.il.us
Wheeling, Illinois                 leah%smith@ast.dsd.northrop.com
Path: troi!mips!aassbokk!amott
From: amott@mips.com (Arch Mott)
Newsgroups: ba.mountain-folk
Subject: Summary: Recommended Leach Field Contractors
Summary: A list of contractors who work on leach fields
Keywords: leach field contractor
Message-ID: <amott.681687507@aassbokk>
Date: 8 Aug 91 21:38:27 GMT
Sender: news@mips.COM
Distribution: ba
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I had posted a request for leachfield contractor recommendations. I 
thought folks in the Boulder Creek area might appreciate this brief 
summary of recommendations. I am only showing the names of contractors 
for whom I received only POSITIVE recommendations, so while some folks 
may have recommended "XYZ Septic", I may have omitted their name because 
of a negative recommendation. (If "XYZ Septic" exists, tell them I'm sorry,
nothing personal.)

Recommendations:
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Anyway, to cut a long story short, I hired Joe Edward of Boulder Creek
to take care of the problem. He not only did what he said he would do
and did it tidily and promptly, but took care of all of the building
and health inspectors concerns with a handshake. It is VERY important
in SC County to have someone representing you who has a good
relationship with the planning people....

Give Joe a call on 338-4923.
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hi,
	i've used a contractor in Ben Lomond name Bob Henseley. His
number is 408 336 8544.  I had really good luck with his work.  He
can sometimes be difficult to get in touch with, but it was worth it.

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I read your post in ba.mountain-folk re: a contractor.  I can recommend
Howard Liebenberg Construction, POB 190, Felton, 338-4646.  I have dealt
with Howard off and on for the last 15 years for our home needs.
Additionally, for that same time period, Howard has been the contractor for
our home owners association on Quigg Way and handles our yearly road
maintainence and other emergencies as they arise. He does *excellent* work
with a tractor/backhoe. I have no idea what his current work schedule is, I
do know he's always busy.

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I don't have first hand recommendations (fortunately :-)) but our output
was marginal when we had it pumped last fall and the pumper recommended
Mike's Backhoe (336-2966) and J.E. Edwards (338-4923 or 338-3122).  Good
Luck.  -virgil
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