Isn’t it great when we can do something good for ourselves and it happens to be good for the environment too? Taking steps to care for your home’s septic tank can mean less stress and less money spent on repairs. One way of caring for your septic tank is by conserving water, which of course, is good for the environment too!

Let’s break this down. The septic system receives wastewater from many places in your home: toilets; showers; washing machines; dishwashers; and sinks. The less water you use, the less of a load that is placed on the soil absorption area (also known as a drainage field). The drainage field can only hold so much, meaning that excessive water may overload your septic system and result in system failure. By conserving water use in your home, not only can you extend the lifetime of the septic system, but you also extend the health of the environment.

So, how exactly can you limit water use in your home? Luckily there are some simple and easy ways to get started:

• Fix leaky taps and running toilets.
• Don’t leave the water running.
• Toilets are not for rubbish – place rubbish in the rubbish bin, not the toilet.
• Reduce water use up to 50% by using water efficient fixtures.
• Do less loads! Only run dishwashers and washing machines when they are full.
• One load of washing dispels a large amount of water into the drainage field. Give it time to recover by spacing out the loads.
• Spread out showers and baths as well.
• Fill your garden with plants, flowers, and bushes that require little water.
• Don’t water your lawn or garden during the hottest times of the day.

With just a little thought and planning, it can be easy to reduce water use in your home. Share these tips with the others in your household to get the most benefits and help your septic system live a long and healthy life. Questions? Call Ri-Industries (08 8444 8100) for answers or to learn more about our septic tank systems.