Salutations Septic System owners!

In this edition of the Septic Scoop, we have some fun facts about the Health Department’s Septic Care Workshop, summertime reminders for a healthy and safe septic system, and an opportunity to assist the Health Department with septic education.

Did you know?

Our community is full of septic geniuses! Last year, 478 homeowners in Snohomish County took the online Septic Care Workshop to learn how to care for their system. The cities with the highest number of attendees were Snohomish (148), Lake Stevens (81), Stanwood (56), Arlington (49), and Monroe (41). We reached friends near and far – including other cities in Washington like Port Orchard and Wenatchee. There was even one attendee all the way from Wisconsin!

Number of Septic Care Workshop attendees by city, Snohomish 148, Lake Stevens 81, Stanwood 56, Arlington 49, Monroe 41

Safety screen installed inside a septic tank riser.

Reminders

Summer Septic Safety

Summer sun brings backyard fun. When hosting barbeques, parties, or other outdoor activities with guests who aren’t familiar with septic systems, it’s important to remind them to be safe. You may recall the Riser Safety Video from our December newsletter, and we wanted to highlight a septic system accessory you can add to your system. If your septic system has risers, you can add secondary lids or safety screens which exist solely to prevent accidental entry into tanks. These help prevent unnecessary tragedies and are an inexpensive option to improve the safety of your septic system and provide peace of mind.

If you are interested in having a secondary lid/safety screen installed for your risers, contact a certified septic professional to explore options.

Septic systems need check ups too

Just like oil changes for a car, a septic system inspection is one of the most important things you can do to keep it running smoothly. In Washington State, homeowners are required to have their septic systems inspected regularly. Gravity systems must be inspected every three years, while all other types must be inspected annually. Stay on schedule to help your system last as long as possible!

Irrigation sprinklers spraying water over grass.

Questions from the community

"The grass over my drainfield gets dry in the summer. Can i water it?"

The Health Department does not recommend watering grass over a drainfield. This is because the more water that your drainfield processes, the shorter it’s lifespan will be. Not watering your drainfield also helps conserve a valuable resource, reduces your utility bills, and means less yardwork!

If you just can’t handle dry grass over your drainfield and you set up a sprinkler anyway, make sure you put it on a timer. It is easy to forget and leave it on for several hours – this will oversaturate the soil in your drainfield with water which impacts how well it functions.

"Can I install an irrigation system in my drainfield?"

No, you should not install an irrigation system in a drainfield. There are many reasons why, such as:

If an irrigation line leaks or breaks, it will quickly oversaturate your drainfield and impact how well it functions.
Installing an irrigation system requires digging into the drainfield. This is risky and you could break something. This is especially true for drainfields that were installed very shallow.
Any waterlines are supposed to be at least 10 feet away from a drainfield.

Poop emoji dressed up as a movie director.

Help us spread the word on septic system care

This summer, the Health Department is planning to create a video highlighting what occurs during a septic system inspection. To do this, we need a homeowner with a septic system who is willing to let us film an upcoming inspection on their property. We are looking for someone with a low-pressure distribution (LPD) system or another more advanced type of system. If you have a gravity or pump-to-gravity system, this will not work for our project.

Interested? Please email us at savvy.septic@snoco.org if you have an inspection scheduled for your septic system within the next three months. (Please note, you do not have to be filmed - your septic system will be the star). While there are no incentives for participating, you will help spread the word about proper septic system care within our community (and beyond!).

Questions?

Do you have questions about your septic system? You can visit our website for more information on septic systems or contact SHD-EHQ@snoco.org for any additional questions.

For information on Savvy Septic financial assistance, visit savvyseptic.org or email savvy.septic@snoco.org. To find a septic professional, click here.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J89801 to the Washington State Department of Health and under an assistance agreement to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.