I am careful with what I put down the drain do I still need to have my tank pumped?

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I am careful with what I put down the drain do I still need to have my tank pumped?

This is a very common question and the answer is yes. The reason you need to have a septic tank pumped is because of retention time. Retention time is how long it takes for incoming waste to make its way through the septic tank and out to the disposal area. It is during this period of time that the solids suspended in the waste stream either settle to the bottom of the tank or float to the surface to form the scum layer. As the scum layer and solids build up over time the effective capacity of the tank is reduced. This reduction in effective capacity also causes a reduction the retention time. If the retention time is reduced, the solids in the waste stream do not have enough time to settle out before the waste is displaced out into the disposal area. If this occurs it will eventually lead to problems with the disposal area and could lead to future costly repairs. In most cases the cost of regularly pumping the septic tank is less than having to install a new leaching area.

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