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The best times of year to pump or empty a septic tank are spring and fall. Many professionals recommend spring because the ground has thawed, making the tank easier to access, and any snowmelt or rainfall can aid in proper drainage. Pumping before summer is also ideal to avoid conflicts with vacations or outdoor gatherings.

Fall is another great option, as contractors may be less busy than in the spring. Servicing the tank in late fall or early spring can also reduce the risk of overflow from extra precipitation during winter and spring.

While summer is a possibility, winter is generally not recommended. The ground is often frozen, which can make it difficult to access the tank, and the waste inside may also be frozen.

You can cover a septic tank riser with dirt, but it’s not always the best idea. If you have a plastic riser and you bury it, you can easily lose track of it since you won’t be able to find it with a metal detector. Make sure to clearly note where your rise is in your yard so that you’re able to access it easily the next time you or a septic pro needs it. Don’t bury the cover too deep or you could place too much stress on it and make it too difficult to access in the future.

Leach lines are commonly made of PVC pipe, and they’re placed into trenches filled with gravel and sand, which help treat the wastewater. The PVC pipes are perforated, or drilled with small holes, so the wastewater can drain out of the pipes and into the surrounding material, which eventually leads to the aquifer.

Most home wells start at 100 feet, and many go as deep as 200 or 300 feet. 

It takes quite a lot of water to meet the demands of showers, toilets, faucets, and appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines, and shallow wells struggle to provide this amount quickly. If you anticipate having high water usage in the future, it’s often better to drill slightly deeper and give yourself a bit more water storage than you need.