How can you best determine how much water your septic tank can handle? Well, how much water you and the other people in the house use on a daily basis can help determine the answer to that question.
Wastewater
When water moves into a drain in your house, then it’s considered wastewater. It has to go somewhere, right? For many homeowners, wastewater ends up in their septic tank, which is located in their yard, buried underground. Water and other liquids like mouthwash, urine, etc., will flow through the tank and a filter toward the leach field. Solids, like poop, will settle toward the bottom of the tank as the lighter water above moves on to the leach field.
Averages
Most septic tanks can handle between 750 and 1,250 gallons of water daily. The average person uses about 70 gallons a day. Ever wonder how much water gets used in your house? Well, bathroom and kitchen sinks run about 2 to 5 gallons per minute, while a typical shower might use 17 gallons. Toilets use about 1 to 7 gallons per flush, while dishwashers use 4 to 6 gallons per cycle. And washing machines typically use between 15 and 45 gallons per load.
Optimal Household Size
Here’s where it gets tricky. Maybe the original septic tank installed for your house was meant to handle water for a typical family of 4 people. But for whatever reason, you have 8 people in your house and everyone’s using a lot of water… your system might be overwhelmed because the tank wasn’t intended to handle so much, right?
You can have Carolina Septic Pro come to your property and check your septic tank to see how it’s doing. If you need a bigger tank, one can be installed in your yard by the professionals at Carolina Septic Pro. If your current tank needs maintenance or a clean-out, that can be done, too. Please call Carolina Septic Pro at 980-500-1022 for more info.