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A household of four can easily fill a 1,000-gallon septic tank within a week. It may be 10 to 14 days for smaller households. But the reason why you don't need weekly pumping is because the tank's contents eventually reach the overflow pipe. They flow down this pipe to the absorption area whenever water is used in your home. The tank keeps working at this full level until it's pumped again.

The cost to pump a septic tank is $400 on average for most homeowners. You could spend as low as $250 if you have a smaller septic tank or as much as $600 or more if your tank is 1,750 gallons. 

The size of your septic tank is the primary determining price factor, but your geographic location can also play a part in your overall cost. For example, pumping a septic tank in Minneapolis, Minnesota, costs between $175 and $275 on average, but in Portland, Oregon, you'll spend between $440 and $750.

Depending on the home, wastewater either goes into a septic tank and seeps back into the backyard or is sent via sewer system to a local sewage-treatment plant. Septic systems naturally separate different components of the waste so that it can naturally and safely disperse it. They are usually reserved for homes not served by a municipal sewage department (like rural homes). A treatment plant, on the other hand, speeds up that process through screening and purification.

A septic tank lid is often 1 foot underground, but it could be just 4 inches from the surface or 4 feet deep. For septic tank lids that are closer to the surface, you’ll have an easier time locating them just by looking for signs in the yard or using a metal probe. But for septic tanks that are buried deeper underground, you’ll need to hire a pro with specialized equipment to track down the lid without risk of damaging utility lines.