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Septic Systems 101 - 3 Things to Avoid
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- Steer clear of additives There are commercial products available which claim to help septic systems work better. However, most sanitation professionals and engineers believe that additives are at best useless and even potentially harmful. There are biological (bacteria, enzyme and yeast) additives as well as chemical products. The biological ones are harmless but some of the chemical items may damage the drainfield and contaminate the groundwater. Even strong pharmaceuticals and personal care products, when washed down the drain, may harm the bacteria in the septic system.
- Don't install a garbage disposal system In-sink garbage disposals grind up food scraps, which then become solids suspended in the water that eventually have to be pumped out of the septic system.
- Avoid water softeners Some freshwater purification systems, including water softeners, remove hardness from the water by adding salt to initiate an ion exchange. The backwash to regenerate the softener flushes large quantities of used salt into the septic system, potentially reducing the permeability of the soil.
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