New homeowner septic system maintenance, inspection guide now available
Free guide published by Texas Water Resources Institute
The Texas Water Resources Institute, or TWRI, has recently published the Septic System Maintenance & Inspection Pocket Guide, a free guide for helping homeowners maintain their septic systems and prevent them from failing.
TWRI is part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The main topic areas of the guide are:
— What is a Septic System?
— Maintenance Tips for a Longer Lasting Septic System.
— Is Your Septic System Failing?
— What to Avoid.
— Resources, Maintenance Record.
The guide includes useful illustrations of conventional and aerobic septic systems, along with enumerated lists of their component parts and other aspects of the two systems. It also includes useful maintenance tips and best practices for extending septic system life, such as regular septic tank pumping, maintaining the drainfield/sprayfield, cleaning effluent screens, ensuring tank accessibility and keeping detailed maintenance records.
“The guide also identifies some of the signs that a septic system might be failing and provides several examples of what the system user can do to keep the system from malfunctioning,” said Nathan Glavy, TWRI Extension program specialist, College Station. “There’s even a system maintenance record template where you can fill in any pertinent information about the system and keep track of what has been done to keep it in good working order.”
Glavy said the publication serves not only as a guide for septic system owners, it also helps protect water resources.
“In some watersheds, failing septic systems have been identified as a source of increased bacteria and nutrient loading,” he said. “Inspecting and maintaining septic systems can help prevent negative impacts on local water quality and public health.”
In addition to the new guide, Maintenance Tips for a Longer Lasting Septic System and Is Your Septic System Failing? are septic system fact sheets also available on the TWRI website.
Glavy said much of the information in the pocket guide and fact sheets was derived from information on AgriLife Extension’s Onsite Sewage Facilities website. For questions about septic systems or more information, contact Ryan Gerlich, AgriLife Extension program specialist, at 979-458-4185 or [email protected], or visit the website.
Funding for the guide was provided by a Texas Coastal Management Program Grant approved by the Texas Land Commissioner pursuant to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award.
