DO - Have your aerobic septic system inspected on a regular basis and both aerobic and conventional systems pumped regularly. The need for pumping can vary widely depending on the size of your household, frequency of entertaining, garbage-disposal use, tank size, and amount of water usage. Pumping your septic tank is one of the single most important things you can do to protect your system.

DO - Keep a detailed record of repairs, cleanings, inspections, and maintenance. Pass these on to the next homeowner.

DO - Learn the location of your septic system tanks, sprinkler lines and sprinklers, or drain field. Keep a sketch handy for service visits. If your system has a flow diverter valve, learn its location and turn it once a year. Flow diverters can add many years to the life of your system. Your local permitting agency can provide you with the layout drawing of your septic system that was filed to obtain the permit for the install.

DO - Conserve water to reduce the amount of wastewater that must be treated and filtered by your system. Doing laundry over several days puts less stress on your system.

DO - Repair any leaking faucets or toilets. To detect toilet leaks, add several drops of food dye to the toilet tank and see if the dye bleeds into the bowl.

DO - Divert down spouts and other surface water, from driveways and hillsides away from your tank and drain field. Excessive water burdens the drain field.

DO - Keep your septic tank access lids accessible for inspections and cleaning.

DO - Install risers (access extensions between the tank access lid and ground level), if necessary.

DO - Take leftover hazardous household chemicals to your approved hazardous waste collection center for disposal. Use bleach, disinfectants and drain toilet bowl cleaners sparingly.

DO - Grow grass above the drain field to provide oxygen. Oxygenated bacteria (aerobic) accelerates waste conversion to liquid.

DON'T - Flush paper towels, newspaper, wrapping paper, rags, sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, disposable diapers or disposable wipes into the system.

DON'T - Allow large, irregular, intermittent or constant volumes of clear water into the system as with a leaking toilet or faucet.

DON'T - Allow discharge from water softeners to enter the system. Heavy salt content can harm essential bacteria and corrode the concrete tanks. See Texas Administrative Code, rule 285.37(a) through (c).

DON'T - Allow anyone to drive or park over any part of the system. The area over the drain field should be left undisturbed with only a mowed grass cover. The tanks and sprinkler lines could collapse, and the drain fields soil could become compacted, shortening its life and causing the need for expensive repairs.

DON'T - Use a garbage disposal, or at least limit its usage. Disposals increase the solids burden to your tank by 50%, so more frequent cleaning is suggested.

DON'T - Use your toilet or drains as a trash can by dumping non-degradables down them. Use of a garbage disposal can increase pumping need by 20%. Also, don't poison your septic system and the groundwater by pouring harmful chemicals down the drain. Non-degradables bulk up your tank. Poisons can kill the beneficial bacteria that treat your wastewater. Non-degradables and poisons include: coffee grounds, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, cigarette butts, fats, grease or oil, paints, thinners, photographic solutions, antibiotics, dental floss, kitty litter, tampons, condoms, paper towels, varnishes, waste oils and pesticides, gasoline, oil, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, antifreeze, etc.

DON'T - Dig around the tanks, lines or drain field, or build anything over it, and don't cover it with a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt.

DON'T -Plant anything over or near the drain field except grass. Roots from nearby trees and shrubs may clog and damage the drain lines.

DON'T -Use caustic drain openers for a clogged drain. Use a plumber's snake to open clogs or a non-caustic drain cleaner.

DON'T - Make unauthorized repairs or enter a septic tank— toxic gases from the tank can kill. If your system develops problems, get advice from your county health department or us.