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Rain, rain go away. Come again some….wait, no

IMG_0026Last week I posted about the rain and this week I’m going to talk a little more about it.  I know I may seem like a broken record, but this last year I have spent a LOT OF TIME talking to customers about their systems and the effects of Mother Nature in their functionality.  The memes I include today may be funny, but what rain and extra moisture can do to your septic system is definitely NOT a laughing matter.

If you are a faithful reader, you have heard this before, but water coming both inside the house and outside from Mother Nature plays a HUGE role in how your septic system functions.  Since October of 2018, the state of Nebraska has received MASSIVE totals of rainfall and snow.  Heck, we almost broke our snow fall record this year!  We are currently sitting at 10 inches over the normal rainfall totals for 2019.  That’s a LOT of moisture for the soil and though systems are designed to handle a lot from the outside forces of nature, there are always exceptions to the rule…say fall of 2018 to the fall of 2019…maybe even the winter of 2019-20? (If you believe in Farmer’s Almanac reports!)

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So, what can you do as a septic-living-homeowner when these crazy wet seasons occur?  Well, first off, just being mindful of your water usage is always a good idea when living on septic.  Here are some things you can do as a homeowner to help with the water running through or to your system:

1) Do loads of laundry throughout the week instead of all on one day.  This slows the amount of water you’re asking your soil to absorb.

2)  Reduce the length of shower time

3)  Reduce the number of times your water softner re-charges in a week

4)  Try not to run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time

5)  Divert run-off water or downspouts AWAY from your lateral field

6)  Make sure you don’t have any “running” toilets or other possible water leaks in the house (sometimes whole-house humidifiers can cause a septic system grief too!)

All of these items help in the functionality of your system no matter what time of year it is, but ESPECIALLY during times of excessive precipitation.

Older systems tend to have more struggles with the huge amounts of rain and snow, but it’s always a good idea to be careful of water usage no matter what the age of the system.  When standing water or possible back ups occur, we can come pump your tank, but this will only relieve the situation for a while until the laterals have had a chance to dry out (when the back up or standing water is due to excessive weather conditions).  Our biggest problem this year has been being able to access the tank for customers.  When the ground is wet or soft, we politely refuse to get on fields or yards – we aren’t exactly a light vehicle when we arrive and we are heavier when we leave!  We can run hose some distance, but there have been tanks this year so far away we can’t always pump them – so if we can prevent these issues prematurely with careful water usage that is always a plus!

Hope you find this information helpful! Together we can survive whatever Mother Nature throws at us!

TOILET “injuries”

Posted by on 5:02 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

I know I have written much over the years about toilet paper and the problems it causes people with their septic system.  Today, I’d like to elaborate a bit on that — it’s kind of amazing what can get flushed down a toilet! When I was teaching middle school science, I used to post “funny facts” on my board every day.  I remember one fact that would always be on those “Fact lists” (or in “freaky fact” books kids would give me…) and it was this: The US estimates 40,000...

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CALL US TO PUMP…YOU OUT!

Posted by on 4:06 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

As I have written several times in this blog, one the best things you can do for your septic system is pump it regularly.  And every time I discuss the subject of septic pumping, my brain always thinks about one of my favorite SNL skits with Hans and Frans….I’m sorry, I’m just that weird.  They wanted to PUMP…..YOU UP!  I want to PUMP…YOU OUT! Anyway… It is recommended that you pump your tank every 3-5 years based on activity levels in your home.  The more people you have living in your...

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Planning for Installation (or Repairs!)

Posted by on 5:09 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Winter is upon us and if you live in Nebraska you’re aware of how the seasons do change!  I grew up in Kansas and thought our winters got plenty cold, but then I moved to the Lincoln area and wow….just a tad bit colder! (I might also note, I think I’m as far north as I ever want to really live — God bless those who do!  Hardy people you are!  My hats off to you!) But what does this matter and why would I have a blog post about it? Well, if you’ve read anything I have posted over the last seven or...

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Do I need to prep my septic system for winter?

Posted by on 1:52 am in Uncategorized | 0 comments

With so many new people living on septic (at least in our area of Lincoln, Nebraska) I get this question a lot — do I need to do anything to prep my septic tank before winter hits? If you live on an acreage this makes perfect sense to think that along with all the other items you make sure are “winterized” — why not the septic system? But, on this issue you can relax.  Nothing needs to be done.  The best maintenance you can do for your septic system is just making sure it is pumped every 3-5 years.  As...

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WINTER TIME AND SEPTIC PUMPING

Posted by on 3:34 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

It’s that time of year that our family loves — cool crisp fall days, deer season, sweatshirts, campfires, Thanksgiving…bring on the pumpkin spice too! But winter is coming… So does that mean we can’t pump septic systems?  Well, not really.  In fact, many people like to have their tanks pumped in the fall and winter months because we don’t screw up their grass since most of it is dormant at this point.   Whenever we pump tanks — no matter what time of year it is — our issues are...

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HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TOILET PAPER TO USE?

Posted by on 4:10 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

What would we do without the luxury item of toilet paper?  None of us truly saw its value until 2020, but what a wonderful item it is, right?  However, as much as we appreciate toilet paper, it can be a stinker (no pun intended…) at causing problems with your septic system. Here’s why… Right out of the gate, all toilet papers claim to be septic safe which unfortunately they are not.  As a new homeowner living on septic, this can cause you issues.  How do you know what toilet paper is good when they all...

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INSTALLATION and MOTHER NATURE

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Happy Thursday Folks!  It’s a cloudy day in Nebraska with a few sprinkles.  Most of the time I don’t like the rain because rain always slows our company down.  When it comes to installation work, we need the ground to work with us and wet soil does NOT do that!  However, currently in Nebraska we are experiencing such a drought that we could probably get a 4-inch rain and still not really notice it!  It is that dry.  So, I will take any rain that wants to come to Nebraska! Why do I...

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS FOR BEGINNERS

Posted by on 5:59 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

 I had the sweetest lady call today with a few questions about her septic system.  Though she had lived on septic before, she recently moved and had a brand new septic system and wanted to know about using Chlorox and other cleaners.  We did a quick little “septic system lesson for beginners” and I figured this might be a good update or reminder for you guys as well! So….here’s what we covered: What kind of cleaners can I use in my house if I live on septic? For the most part, you can use what you have used when...

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IT IS SO DRY!!!! What does this mean for lateral fields?

Posted by on 3:24 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Despite the little “surprise” shower we got earlier this week, it kinda feels like there’s a state- wide ban on rain showers, doesn’t it?  It’s like Nebraska has some sort of magnetic field that has been repelling all moisture from the state. Does anyone else feel this way? Because we are so dry, I got an interesting call the other day from one of my customers.  She, like many of us, has noticed how dry and cracked the ground is everywhere on her property – even above her lateral field.  So, she called to see if...

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LEAKING LATERALS — why do they happen?

Posted by on 5:20 pm in Uncategorized | 0 comments

It’s that time of year when everyone is calling to either get their tank pumped or discuss issues with their septic systems.  An item that is a biggie with many systems is water usage.  Why?  Septic systems are designed to handle only so much water.  So, if you go over that amount, your systems will let you know….kinda like Christmas dinner makes the pants tighter?  Too much water will show up in standing water on laterals or sometimes back-ups in the house.  I can’t help you with your...

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