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Sewage Disposal - Owner's Guide

Where can I get information on sewage disposal?

Nearly half of Island homes have on-site wastewater treatment and disposal.
As illustrated below, the sewer pipe carries waste water to the septic tank, where fats and greases rise to the top and solids settle to the bottom.
The treated liquid in the middle, known as effluent, flows out of the tank and is distributed along the disposal field (a series of pipes buried in gravel-filled trenches).
The pipes have many holes in them so as the effluent spreads out across the disposal field it seeps through the gravel into the soil below.

Typical On-Site Sewage Disposal System

Getting to know your septic system

What you need to know...

What type and size septic system do you have?
Where is it located?
Is the septic system working properly?
Has it been maintained in the past?
What can you do on a day-to-day basis to keep your system working properly?
What maintenance is needed in the future?

Location, Location, Location

To properly maintain your septic system, you should know the location of both the septic tank and the drainfield.

Contact the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs for a copy of your sewage disposal permit. This will tell you the approximate location of the system and the size of the tank.

When you have your septic tank pumped, measure and record the distance from the house to the access port on the tank. This will help you find it again.

It's also helpful to make a rough sketch of your home, septic system and other important features (such as your driveway.)

Background Checks

You should keep a record of any maintenance work done on your septic system.

The first step is to find out what maintenance has already been done.

If the house has just been built, ask the septic system contractor to provide you an as built diagram that may show details not on the permit.

If you are buying an existing home, there are a few important questions you should ask the seller:

What does the system consist of?
How old is the septic system?
When was the tank last pumped?
How often has it been pumped?
Have there been signs of possible failure?
Have there been additions to the house that would necessitate increasing the size of the system?

Signs of possible septic system problems:

Sewage backing up into your toilets, tubs or sinks.
Slowly draining fixtures, particularly after it has rained.
The smell of raw sewage accompanied by extremely soggy soil over the drainfield.
Sewage discharged over the ground or in nearby ditches or woods.
Water test results indicating the presence of biological contamination or organic chemical contamination in the groundwater under the system.

Forms

On-Site Sewage Disposal System Information/ Sketch

Printable version of this form [118 KB PDF File]