By Adiam Mengis, Educator Consultant, Environmental Health Division

The fall rainy season can mean more stress on your on-site septic system. It’s a great time to think about how you’re maintaining your OSS to help prevent unnecessary and costly repairs.

Tens of thousands of King County homes and businesses use an OSS, a mini-water treatment facility right on the homeowner’s property. Designed, installed and maintained properly, onsite septic systems process wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, washing machines and dishwashers without contaminating your property and neighborhood with sewage.

How do you know if you have an OSS?
Are you paying for sewer? If you are not, you likely have an OSS. Learning about your OSS is important as each system design may require different maintenance in order to protect your investment. To get a copy of your OSS records, start by searching here.

 

Don’t flush it and forget it – or you may regret it
It’s important to regularly maintain your OSS, even if you have no signs of system failure. Your OSS may last for decades if properly maintained. Fixing or replacing a failing OSS can be very expensive compared to routine maintenance. While it costs $250 and up to pump the average septic tank, repair or replacement of the septic system ranges from $3,000 to $20,000 or even higher depending on the complexity of the OSS and its location. Regular maintenance of your OSS is also the law and could result in liability if not up to date.

Dos and Don’ts to keep your OSS working properly

Do:

• Inspect and regularly pump-out your septic tank as needed and/or every 3-5 years.
• Keep septic tank lids easily accessible and secured.
• Quickly repair all leaky faucets and toilets.
• Use water efficiently; for example, use “low flow” fixtures on faucets and shower heads.
• Spread laundry washing throughout the week and wash full loads.

Don’t:

• Don’t flush anything except toilet paper into your septic system.
• Don’t flush wipes, diapers or feminine products (even if the products indicate they are flushable).
• Don’t flush medicines down the drain.
• Don’t run dishwashers and washing machines at the same time.
• Don’t pour fats, grease, solids or toxic materials (like household chemicals).
• Don’t use septic tank additives.
• Don’t drain water from hot tubs in to your septic system.
• Don’t park vehicles on your septic system and drain-field.

Worried your OSS may need repair or replacement? There is financial assistance to repair septic systems. Typical system failure signs include backed-up waste water, odor, spongy grass and water around the septic tank and drain-field. The following loan sources may be available for qualifying individuals:

• Craft3 Clean Water Loan Program
  Craft3 provides clean water loans to repair or replace failing onsite sewage. Learn more and apply at www.Craft3.org/CleanWater or contact Craft3 at CleanWater@Craft3.org and 888-231-2170.
• King County Housing Repair Program
  King County Housing Repair Program provides interest-free loans and emergency grant services to low and moderate-income home owners and individual low-income renters with disability who reside in King County, outside the City of Seattle. Call 206-263-9095 and check the website for more details.
• USDA Rural Housing Services Program
  The USDA Rural Housing Services Program provides loans to low-income homeowners. Call 360-428-4322 ext. 4 or visit their website.

Check out these links to get more details on properly maintaining our OSS:

• On-site Sewage System (OSS) Program
• FAQs on OSS
• Public Health Insider “Onsite Insight” blog post

Originally posted on September 22, 2017.