Water Usage: How it will affect
your On-Site Sewage Treatment System
The average Minnesotan uses 75 to 100 gallons of water per day, and an astounding 60% of that water is used in the bathroom alone! Since the life-span and the effectiveness of a septic system is directly impacted by how much water is placed into that system, it is important to consider how much wastewater is generated within your home, and to reduce your water usage whenever possible.
When a new septic system is designed and installed, the size of that system is determined by the number of bedrooms (or potential bedrooms) that are contained within the home. When properly designed and installed, a septic system will completely treat the wastewater generated on the property. As wastewater enters the septic tank, an equal amount of water leaves the other end of the tank and enters the soil treatment system. When more water is allowed to enter the system than it was designed to handle, the system becomes overloaded. Sludge and scum that have settled in the septic tank may become agitated and re-suspend in the liquid layer. If those solids are allowed to move out of the tank and into your drainfield, they can cause irreparable damage to your soil treatment system. As the soil pores become plugged with suspended solid particles, your drainfield will not be able to accept water as quickly as it did before. This can cause pipes to plug, sewage to backup into your home, or untreated sewage to surface onto your yard. As you can see, in order to insure complete and proper treatment of your sewage, it is important for the septic tank provide adequate settling time to separate the solids from the liquid.
Using too much water will place an unnecessary strain on your septic system. When water fixtures are allowed to leak or faucets to continue to drip, the septic system will receive substantial amounts of clean water. Allowing your water to run while you shave, rinse your dishes, or brush your teeth will also introduce excess water into your septic system. A septic system will actually last longer and function better if you simply reduce the amount of wastewater entering into your soil treatment system. The largest contributor of wastewater is the toilet, followed by bathing, laundry, and dishwashing. In fact, toilets are responsible for nearly 40% of the total water used in the average home!
One of the best ways to reduce the amount of water used in your home is to replace your older water-using appliances. Most older models use greater amounts of water than today’s more efficient appliances. Replacing a six-gallon per flush toilet with a one and one-half gallon per flush toilet will greatly reduce the amount of wastewater produced in your home. So will Installing low-flow showerheads, using a hand held shower with shut off and temperature control, or simply taking shorter showers. Filling the basin of the sink to wash hands and by shutting off the water while brushing teeth or shaving can save up to 5 gallons per minute!
To reduce the amount of water used in the kitchen, install low-flow faucets and a low-flow dishwasher. Washing full loads of dishes will also reduce water use. Hand washing and rinsing the dishes in the basin of the sink instead of using running water will greatly reduce the amount of water used each day. Keeping a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running your tap until the water gets cold is another good way to reduce water usage. If a water treatment system is used, be sure that there is a shut off valve so the system does not run continuously. Many filtering systems reject about 8 gallons for every gallon of water that is treated.
The laundry room generates approximately 22 percent of in-home wastewater. By using a suds-saving washing machine or a front-loading washing machine it is possible to use 40 percent less water per load. Washing only full loads and spreading the loads evenly throughout the week will also significantly reduce the strain on your septic drainfield, thus helping it to last longer.
Whenever possible, recharge the water softener as infrequently as possible. Set the softener for recharge every other night or every third night rather than every night. Many newer-style softeners will only recharge when a given amount of water has been used, regardless of the period of time between recharge cycles. This is great during periods when your water usage is small, such as vacations, etc. Be sure to discharge chlorine-treated water (from your hot tub or swimming pool) and the discharge water from your softener onto the surface of your yard in an area away from your septic tanks and drainfield. Roof drains, basement drainage, or sump pumps should also be routed away from the septic system.
Remember, by minimizing the amount of water that is used in your home you will not only save water and money; you can also extend the life of your septic system!