By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia
Like hot water and electricity, your home septic system is one of
those things you may not think about every day. That is, until it
stops working. Then it’s all you think about.
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist Kent McVay
says an easy way to prevent septic system problems is to have
your system inspected every few years.
An ounce of prevention
“It’s not a pleasant topic, but it’s something that has to be
dealt with,” McVay said. “The easy way to remember it’s time to
have your septic system cleaned is to have it done every election
year.”
To help extend the life of your home septic system, McVay offers
these tips:
* Minimize water usage. “Your system can handle only so much
water at a time,” he said. “Keep that in mind when you’re washing
clothes, taking showers and running the dishwasher.”
* Don’t use a garbage disposer. “If you’re on a home septic
system, compost your kitchen scraps,” McVay said. “This can
reduce the organic load by as much as 50 percent and help your
home garden, too.”
* Reduce harsh chemical usage. “Don’t use chlorine bleach to
clean everything in your home,” he said. “Moderate use is okay,
but excessive use kills the useful bacteria that are working to
break down bacteria in your septic system.”
Pay now or pay later
If you haven’t had your home septic system inspected in five
years, McVay recommends making an appointment with a septic tank
pumper.
“You may not want to spent the $200 or $300 for the inspection
and pumping now,” he said, “but it’s a lot cheaper than digging
up your lawn and installing new drain fields because you
neglected your system.”
McVay recently joined the UGA faculty in Griffin, Ga., as
director of the university’s wastewater management education
program. He teaches proper septic system installation procedures
to installers across the state and at on-site training centers in
Griffin and Hazlehurst.
Each site demonstrates various types of septic system designs.
The sites and the training program are funded by the Georgia
Department of Human Resources, with support from the Georgia
Onsite Wastewater Association.
Training the state’s installers
“Septic system installation used to be as simple as knowing a guy
with a backhoe,” McVay said. “Now, installation is much more
professional. And the state requires installers to attend what
amounts to one day of training every two years to earn eight
hours of continuing education credits.”
UGA specialists, engineers, state environmentalists and industry
consultants teach with both classroom and hands-on field training
in the UGA program.
About 4,000 Georgians are employed as installers. Another 400
soil scientists and engineers work in the field, McVay said.
With 70 percent to 80 percent of new home construction using on-site septic systems, McVay says septic system installation should be regulated because improper installation can severely impact public health.
“The soils in Georgia are capable of taking care
of this waste,” he said. “But the systems need to be installed
correctly.”
For a list of upcoming trainings, call McVay at (770) 233-5506
or email him at kmcvay@uga.edu.
