A failing septic system usually has less to do with the tank itself than with what a household sends into it and how the yard on top of the drainfield gets treated. That is good news, because both of those are in your hands. This guide gathers the US Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on what to keep out of the drains, how to pace water use, and how to look after the ground over the system, so that each pump-out in Jonesboro carries you further.
What a septic system is built to handle
The EPA describes the basic path like this. Everything that leaves the house drains into a tank buried in the yard. Inside, the heaviest material sinks, fats and light material rise, and the clearer water between them moves on to a drainfield, where microbes living in the soil do the rest of the cleaning. A setup like that copes well with human waste and toilet paper. Most other things that end up in household drains are a different story.
The EPA's own shorthand is blunt: a septic system should never be treated as a trash can.
What the EPA says not to flush
Here is the EPA's list of things to keep out of the toilet, grouped a little differently:
- diapers and cat litter
- any wipe sold as a wet wipe or a baby wipe
- tampons, pads and other feminine hygiene products
- paper towels
- medicines of any kind
- fats, grease and cooking oil
- paint thinner, pesticides and similar household chemicals
The toilet is meant for human waste and toilet paper, and nothing else. Anything that does not break down stays in the tank as extra solids. The tank then fills sooner, and some of that material can be pushed out to the drainfield and plug it. One cost guide in the sources adds a separate tip: go easy on harsh chemicals and antibacterial products.
What about the kitchen sink?
Fats and oils made the EPA list because they rise to the surface of the tank and thicken the floating scum layer. Before washing a greasy pan, wipe it out with a paper towel and throw the towel in the trash rather than flushing it. Food from a garbage disposal is more solid material for the tank to hold. One cost guide names cutting back on disposal use as one way to go longer between pump-outs. The same guide also lists skipping harsh chemicals, fitting water-saving fixtures, and planting trees and deep-rooted shrubs well away from the drainfield.
Cleaning products and chemicals
Paint thinner and pesticides appear on the EPA list by name. For ordinary household cleaners, the cost guide's advice is to pass on harsh chemicals and antibacterial formulas. When a product leaves you unsure, read its label, and if that does not settle it, ask a provider. Never mix one cleaning chemical with another, and avoid pouring a large quantity of any chemical into a drain. Some cleaners also give off fumes that are unsafe to breathe in a small bathroom with the door shut.
The cost guide also says microorganism additives are no excuse to skip regular pumping. Treat any product that promises to fix a tank with suspicion. If it claims to stand in for pumping or to restore a failing drainfield, talk to a provider before you pour it in.
Water use matters as much as what goes in
According to the EPA, indoor water use can run to roughly 70 gallons per person each day, and one toilet that keeps running can waste as much as 200 gallons daily. When too much water arrives, the tank and drainfield have no time to do their work. The EPA's suggestions:
- swap older toilets for high-efficiency ones rated at 1.6 gallons per flush or less,
- add aerators to faucets and choose efficient showerheads,
- repair dripping fixtures and toilets that keep running, and
- run laundry a load or two at a time over the week rather than all on one day, since a single heavy day can flood the drainfield.
Jonesboro gets about 52 inches of precipitation in a typical year, going by the climate summary in the Wikipedia article on the city, so this advice carries extra weight here. If the soil is already soaked, one big laundry day can push a drainfield that is barely keeping up past its limit. Storm weather is covered in more depth in our guide on septic systems after heavy rain.
The ground above the drainfield
Replacing a drainfield is the expensive outcome, and the EPA sets out a few rules for the yard over it:
- Keep cars and trucks off it, whether parked or passing through. Their weight packs the soil down and can damage the pipes below.
- Leave it free of concrete and asphalt, and check with a local designer or permitting office before putting any structure on it.
- Skip trees, shrubs and vegetable beds there. The EPA names native grasses and ground covers as the most suitable plantings.
- Point roof drains, sump pump lines and any other rainwater outlets somewhere else.
Before you add a patio, shed, pool or driveway, locate the drainfield. The Arkansas Department of Health's Onsite Wastewater program issues permits for onsite systems that handle less than 1,500 gallons a day. When a project might affect the system, a call to the health department or a provider before work begins is sensible, and if it means digging, contact 811 beforehand to have underground lines marked.
Check it, do not enter it
Do not lift a tank lid to look inside. The gases that build up in a septic tank are dangerous, so never get into an open tank or lean into one. Slow drains, a toilet that gurgles, soggy patches in the yard or a sewage smell are all reasons to call a trained provider, who can open the tank and check it safely.
Pumping still matters
Good habits lengthen the gap between pump-outs, but they do not do away with them. The EPA's usual range for a household tank is a pump-out every three to five years, with the exact timing set by household size, how much wastewater the home produces, how much of it is solid, and the size of the tank. If your system includes pumps or float switches, the EPA advises an inspection roughly once a year. Keep a written record of each visit.
A one-page habit list
- Toilet: nothing but human waste and toilet paper.
- Kitchen: scrape grease and food scraps into the trash.
- Laundry: a few loads at a time, spread through the week.
- Fixtures: repair drips and toilets that run.
- Yard: no vehicles, buildings or trees on the drainfield.
- Chemicals: paint thinner, pesticides and medicines stay out of every drain.
- Tank: opening and cleaning it is a job for a provider.
Request a quote
Not sure when the tank was last pumped, or worried that something went down a drain that should not have? Send a request through this site and an independent provider near Jonesboro can take a look. It costs nothing to ask and you are under no obligation to hire.
Common questions
Are flushable wipes okay for a septic tank?
The EPA lists wipes labeled as wet or baby wipes among the things not to flush. Only human waste and toilet paper belong in the toilet.
Can I use a garbage disposal with a septic system?
It adds solids to the tank. One cost guide lists limiting garbage disposal use as a way to reduce how often you pump. Ask a provider what is reasonable for your tank.
Can I park on my drainfield?
The EPA says not to park or drive on it, because the weight compacts the soil and can damage pipes.
Can I plant a vegetable garden over the drainfield?
The EPA says not to plant trees, shrubs or vegetable gardens on it. Native grasses and ground covers are the most appropriate plantings.