“Should I Add Chemicals to My Septic System?”

Over the past year I have had a lot of people inquire about adding certain chemicals to their septic systems. People are wondering if they should after seeing ad’s on TV and in magazines. The State of Massachusetts does have an approved list of chemicals available through the state web site Mass.gov. Although they have an approved list does not mean your system needs chemical treatments. When you have your septic system pumped you need to ask your technician questions on how your system is operating. An educated system inspector will be able to tell you if chemicals will help your system.

There are some legitimate reasons to add chemicals to your system. Today’s dish and laundry soaps are very concentrated. When these soaps are added to your septic tank they diminish the amount of natural bacteria and enzymes that help breakdown solids and foods that enter the tank. With this being said if your technician informs you that the contents in your tank is very thick then a chemical could assist with breaking this down during scheduled pumping. A properly maintained and operating system should not need chemicals to function according to the Dept. of Environmental Protection.

Another reason and seems to be my most asked question is if the drainfield is not leaching correctly is there any chemicals that can be added to assist? The answer is Yes! In leachfields and cesspools what happens over time is a bio-mat will form. This is a thick black tar like substance and this prevents the system from draining efficiently. There are certain chemicals that can be added directly into the system by a trained technician. These “Environmentally Safe” Chemicals will break down the bio-mat and allow the leach field to operate.

As always visit: http://www.septicdrainer.com or call 1-518-812-0000