Regular septic cleaning, which requires the septic tank to be emptied to the bottom, to prevent solid buildup that can cause blockages, backups, and costly damage. It helps your system run efficiently, lasts longer, and protects both your property and the environment.

Why is it important to empty your septic tank to the bottom?

The solids that enter your septic tank, mostly sink to the bottom where they should stay until your next routine pump out. The solids are the only waste we actually need to remove from your system for the benefit and continued successful use of your drainage field because as they accumulate at the bottom of your tank, they will slowly build up to the level of where your outflow pipe sits and by way of either a pump or gravity, water is syphoned out to keep your septic tank filled to nearly the top of the tank (approx. 10 inches from the roof of the tank) which is your tanks normal running level. Your tank is meant to be “full”, with the solids sinking to the bottom, some light sludge/crust that builds on the top of the water and water should make up the middle layer, occupying no less than 75% of the total contents in the tank, by pumping time. When the solids in the tank start building to more than 25% of the total tanks contents, you are than putting your Drainage Field at risk of receiving unwanted solids syphoned out to your field when water is drained out of it, especially if you don’t have an Effluent Filter. Solids are the enemy of your Drainage Field.

Leaving any amount of solids at the bottom of your tank serves the system no purpose and shortens your pumping frequency by the amount of solids left to build on. If you can’t see the bottom of your tank after the tank has been pumped out, you have been left with an undetermined amount of solids that equals months to years off your next pumping frequency. You aren’t starting your next pumping cycle off at day 1, you are starting at 6 months, 1 or maybe even 2 years of the solid buildup on the bottom of your tank left behind from the last pumping.

The walls of your septic tank are still covered with the good bacteria your system needs to start up its portion of the solid breakdown cycle again and our bodies send more and more out each day. Leaving solids behind masked by reasoning of needing to leave enough good bacteria in the tank, in our opinion, is not necessary or helpful to your septic system.