Reasons for Maintaining Your System
An Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Owner’s Manual
Reasons for Maintaining Your System
For many homeowners their ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM may easily be the most overlooked and undervalued utility in the home. If you are like many homeowners, not much thought is given to what happens to the waste that goes down the drain. Yet if you rely on an onsite system to treat and disperse your household WASTEWATER, proper OPERATION and MAINTENANCE of your system can have a significant impact on how well it works and how long it lasts.
There are three main reasons why ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM MAINTENANCE is so important:
- The first reason is protecting your HEALTH, the health of your family, and the environment. Household WASTEWATER is loaded with disease-causing bacteria and viruses, as well as, high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. When onsite systems fail, inadequately treated household WASTEWATER is released into the environment and can contaminate nearby wells, groundwater, and surface waters. Any contact with untreated human waste can pose a significant health risk.
- The second reason is MONEY. MALFUNCTIONING onsite systems are expensive to repair or replace, and neglected MAINTENANCE by homeowners is a common cause of early system failure. The minimal amount of preventative MAINTENANCE that onsite systems require costs very little in comparison to the cost of a new system. For example, it can easily cost more than $10,000 to replace a failing onsite system, compared to $200 - $500 average per year costs to have a system routinely inspected, serviced or pumped.
- The third reason is to protect your PROPERTY VALUE. An unusable onsite wastewater treatment system or one in disrepair can cause property values to decline. It can also make it difficult to sell the property; in cases when a property transfer INSPECTION is mandated, the property sale may be delayed if the ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM is not operating properly. In addition, building or occupancy permits may be denied for these properties. MALFUNCTIONING onsite systems can reduce property values in the area if they contribute to the pollution of local rivers and lakes that your community uses for commercial or recreational activities.
