Do's
• Do have your septic tank pumped out regularly.

Pumping intervals (years) for 1000 gallon tank.
# Of people	2	3	4	5	6
Years	5.9	3.7	2.6	2.0	1.5

• Do spread automatic washer use over the week rather than many loads on one day.
• Do make a permanent record of where the key parts of your system are located for
..future maintenance, such as tank pump outs or field repairs.
• Do keep records of pump outs and maintenance.
• Do use water conserving devices where possible. Low flush toilets and shower heads
..are commonly available.
• Do have manually cleaned lint traps on your automatic washer.
• Do check any pumps, siphons, or other moving parts of your system regularly.
• Do remove or prevent trees with large root systems growing near the disposal field.
• Do maintain a healthy grass cover over the disposal field to use some of the water and
..to prevent erosion.
• Do keep surface water from upslope or from roof drains away from the disposal field.
• Do check your interceptor drain regularly to ensure that it is free-flowing.
• Do compost your kitchen waste or include it in your garbage. A garbage grinder
..should be installed only when the septic tank is oversized, and the tank will need to
..be pumped more often.

Don’ts
• Don’t overload the system with high volumes of water.
• Don’t connect basement sump pumps to the on-site system.
• Don’t connect backwash from water treatment devices directly to the on-site system
..without professional advice.
• Don’t allow large amounts of fats, chemicals, or solvents to enter the system; don’t
..allow any plastics to enter.
• Don’t use septic tank additives. They are not beneficial, and may damage your
..disposal system. Active bacteria are naturally present in sewage. Even with additives,
..regular pumping of solids is still required.
• Don’t enter a septic tank without proper ventilation, a second person (adult) above
..ground, and other requirements of the Department of Labour for confined spaces.
..Sewer gases can be fatal.
• Don’t allow vehicles or heavy equipment to drive over or park on the disposal field.
..This may compact the soil and crush the piping.
• Don’t plant anything over the disposal field except grass; especially, don’t cover the
..tank or field with asphalt or concrete or other impermeable material.
• Don’t put in a separate pipe to carry wash waters to a side ditch or woods. These
..‘greywaters’ also contain diseasecarrying organisms
• Don’t wait for signs of failure. Check the system regularly.

Don’t flush:
- coffee grounds - dental floss - paints
- disposable diapers - kitty litter - varnishes
- sanitary napkins - tampons - waste oils
- cigarette butts - condoms - poisons
- fats, grease and oils - paper towels - thinners
- disinfectants - pesticides
- photographic chemicals - other chemical wastes.