It goes without saying that regular septic tank pumping is the best way to avoid a messy backup into your home, costly repairs, or premature replacement of one or more of the components of your septic system. There is one more reason why this is such an important part of your home maintenance regime that we bet you haven’t thought of. If you get your water from a well on your property, neglecting septic tank pumping could result in contaminating your vital water source – perhaps even permanently!

If your well taps into an aquifer that extends beyond your property, failure to keep up with septic tank pumping and inspections could endanger the water for all your neighbors, as well. The opposite is also true – their inaction could affect your drinking water! While we don’t condone harassing your neighbors to keep them in line, it doesn’t hurt to bring this up at your next community meeting so your neighbors are aware how much is at stake.

So, just how does this happen? The explanation is that a properly performing septic system keeps the waste in the tank and allows effluent to float to the surface, where it is transported through the drain field and effectively filtered before entering the ground water. Furthermore, a properly installed system has drainage elements to further ensure the effluent is clean before it makes it to aquifers and private wells. If a tank gets too full, it can push the waste to the drain field and clog it up so that it can no longer filter properly, allowing contaminants to pass through. Regular septic tank pumping eliminates this threat, but you should still have your well water tested every so often to be sure it continues to be safe to consume.