where your tank is?how big it is?

when it was last pumped?where your drainfield is?

do you know... Aftersludgesettlesdown,liquideffluent(yourwastewater)flowsouttothedrainfieldandseepsthroughdrainpipeholesintothesoil“filter”whereit’spurifiedbymicrobialcrittersinsoilpores.Percolatingdowntorechargegroundwater,yourtreatedwastewaterfeedsyourwell,yourneighbors’wells—plusgardens,irrigation,andourlakes&streams!Youwantittobegoodsoil,andcleanwater. Bacteriainthetankworktobreakdownthesludgelayer,buteventually...ALLTANKSNEEDTOBEPUMPED!Alltanks.All.

HEy—Community Systems & Townies! Even if you’re on a community system or live in town, these guidelines make smart sense too.It all goes somewhere, and our water’s all connected!

EffluEnT fIlTEr:Installorretrofitintank’soutletpipetokeepsolidsfromescapingtodrainfield.Darncheapinsurance!

Taking Care of Septics Keeps Your Water Well!

Onceyoufindit,mapit!

Septics Anatomy:

rISErSbringaccessuptogroundlevel—likeplasticculvertsonend,risingtothesurfaceastallasthetankisdeep(1-2ft)&cappedatgradewithmanholecovers.Butdon’tburythelids! Instead,Think:decorative lawn ornaments.

how they work & why they fail

Mostcountiesnowkeeprecordsofnewsystemswithanas-built, adrawingofthehousefootprint&propertylinesinrelationtothesepticandwell—asitwasbuilt! Askthecountyforyours,ordrawoneyourself!

as-built

what’s buried out in your backyard?

(TreasureMap)

Doesn’tmatterwhereyoulive,inwhatkindofhouse,howbigitis—orifyourgranddaddyhomesteadedtheplaceoryou’reashinynewcityslicker.What’llmakeyourseptictheGood,thebad, or the DownrightuGly is all about:

Howyoutakecareofit,&Howyoulivewithit.

FollowusinthePoreofDiscoverytoexplorehowtoprotectyourwell&septic—&howtodiscoversignsoftrouble!

X

100ft

When Things AreIT’S a SmoooTH opEraTIon!

note:bothtankcompart-

mentsgetpumpedthrough

separateaccessmanholes,

sogetasetofrisers.

GOOD,

The GOOD . . .

Here in the Heart of the West!The GOOD . . .

InspectRegularly& Pump as Needed

the bad ...like it’s been Rode hard

& put away wet

... and the downright UGLY!! Bite the Bullet, It’s Dead (R.I.P.)

... and the downright UGLY!! (R.I.P.)

¤***•

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septicfailure

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Give

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yourN

eigh

bor-

hood

Circle.

s RetrofitRisers&EffluentFilters

s ThinkCompost&Trashvs. GarbageDisposal

s UseLeastAmountofToxicChemicals &Cleaners(use recommended dose, handle & store carefully)

s LandscapeDrainfieldwithShallow-RootedPlants,NotDeep

s KeepSprinklers,Runoff,&ContaminantsAwayfromDrainfield

s TestWaterAnnually (nitrates, bacteria)

s WatchWaterUse&“Shock”Loads

s KeepGoodRecords—septic/well loG (find it, start it, keep it)

s CheckGraywaterPotential forYourCounty!

wanted:

septic killeRs!

Candy garrison raabRanchHand&BrilliantIllustrator

Jana m. SuchyWrangler/Writer/Producerway out west creative

P.O.Box200901Helena,Montana59620-0901406.444.6697www.deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/swp

Joe meek Crew bossdeQ source water protection

aRmed &extRemely dangeRous

RewaRd: clean wate

R!

+ pRotected pRopeR

ty/investment/health

5,500copiesofthispublicdocumentwerepublishedatanestimatedcostof33¢percopy,foratotalcostof$1,822,whichincludes$1,822forprinting.

alias

& Credits:

starrinG:biG sky slim &elly the horse

pete the prairie doG& his lady, nellie

The Wild Bunch

Contacts

Ride Herd on Your Septic!

wanted:

septic killeRs!

loCaTE (findit!)

InSpECT regularly

pump asneeded

& proTECT!

tank needs pumpin

g

high water use

flushing trash

laCk of maintenan

Ce

too muCh garbage

disposal

overloaded with s

olids

KITCHENGREASE&T

OxICCHEMICALS

(+water-softener

salts)

driving over drain

field

tree roots; poor

drainage

poor installatio

n, design, siting

(unfitsoils,steeps

lopes,smalllot)

DON’TKNOWWHERE

SEPTICIS

DON’TKNOWTHEREi

sASEPTIC!

s RetrofitRisers&EffluentFilters

s ThinkCompost&Trashvs. GarbageDisposal

s UseLeastAmountofToxicChemicals &Cleaners(use recommended dose, handle & store carefully)

s LandscapeDrainfieldwithShallow-RootedPlants,NotDeep

s KeepSprinklers,Runoff,&ContaminantsAwayfromDrainfield

s ProtectWell—3bestways: monitor water Quality (nitrates, bacteria), septic maintenance, & curb runoff pollution

s WatchWaterUse&“Shock”Loads

s KeepGoodRecords—septic/well loG (find it, start it, keep it)

s CheckGraywaterPotentialforYourCounty!

s AndRemember,NoMatterHowFancyor Expensive—all tanks need to be pumped!

Artwork© 2011