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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptic Letter - Correspondence - 329 REA STREET 7/2/2019 r %i% 1 North A�ndover yg u Health (ommunity and Econoinic Developm�WDivision Vie. . S,Ystele Pumping Records Date 21' Address: 329 Rea St. Condition of system: Heavy sodas, in tank Dear Owner: Please note that a septic system pumping record dated 6 19 19 and r c v n 6 2 states that your septic; system"s tank bad a heavy level of solids 'Ins i . attached you will fired a flyler on Caring for your Septic System. Please read through ough the flyer t learn some the suggested blest practices for caring for your septic system. If you do have a garbage di.sposal. in your house, please discontinue its use immediately. if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Health Department at,the phone number listed below. t t Thank you for taking;the time to cons�ider the impact this may have on,your system as well as the M i i Sincerely,, j 10, Stephen Casey Jr. Health Inspector:, Office: (978) 6188 9540 Etc: Car g for your Septic System. A Reference Guide for Homeowners Page . North Andover Health 12 a Street North0 1845e: 978.6 .9 . , i i , Caring tor your Septic System,., A, Reference Guide for Homeowners Caring for Your Septic System i i Septic Systems Explained' Septic systems are inn i ldu ll wastewater"treatment systems nventi n ul septic systems, inn ti altern ti 1 A systems, r cesspools)that S the s il'and bacteria to treat small wastewater flows, usually from individual hornes. They are typically used in rural or large lotsettings where centralized wastewater treatment(sewer system to a treatment plant)is impractical',and urn it l . 'There are many types of septic systems In use today.While all systems,are Individually designed for each site, most s auna are based on the same principles. i Conventional Septic System A conventional septic system consists of a septic tank, distribution box and a leach field. Your septic system t'reats your household wastewater by,temporarily holding it in the septic tank where heavy eoliths and lighter debris are allowed to separate from the wastewater and bacteria begin to break everything down.The sollids sink to the bottom and are called the sludge layer;the lighter debris such as, lair, oils and grease float to the top and are called a scum layer;and the ast w t r or effluent is left i the hill . This separation process with the initial decomposition Is known as primary treatment. w r w N**w 'dw +kW '. p W F.. . " .w e . - , R w r Hwy, ■ w w wM.. ", r + dY, , N+ .. l . Mti o r j u r.t, 11w.: w Potts y�ETOLL.,,.. IN 1111�1111- , aw * ' " " NA t rs f on tr to distn'bution q pry Ornin,field �tvitr ludgeF f f f ' 1 1 i i i After the,partially treated wastewater(effluent)leaves the tangy it flows into a distribution box. 'The distribution box separates this effluent evenly Into network of pips called septic lines within the leach field. Small holies throughout the bottom of each septic line allow the effluent to slowly drain into gravel and sand layers where bacteria further treat and purify the effluent. This is known as secondary treatment. A properly functioning septic system parities the l nt through primary and secondary treatment and does not pollute the r un w t r. Caring, r Your Septic System (Conventional Septic System, Innovative/Alternative IN System, or Cesspool) The accumulated solids In the bottom of the septic tank should be pumped out every two years to prolong the life of your system. Septic systems must be mint in regularly to stay working. Neglect or abuse of your system can cause It to fail. Failing systems can'. Cause a serious,health threat to your family and neighbors, Degrade the environment, especially lakes,streams and groundwateri Reduce the value of your property,, Be:very expensive to repair, and Put thousands of water supply users at risk if you live in a public.water supply watershed and fail to maintain your system. Be alert to these'warning signs of a failing system: Sewage surf i ng over the leach fi e Id (es pecia Ily after storms�), Sewage back-ups,in the house, ILush, green growth over the leacilllli field, Slow draining toilets or drains, Sewage odors. Save Money by Maintaining Your Septic System A major reason to,maintain your septic System is to save money., Failing systems are expensive to repair or replace, and poor maintenance Is often the culprit,. Preventive mail nten,an ce'is a whole lot cheaper than repair it replacement. For example, it could cost up to$40,000 or more to replace a falling system with a new one, compared to approximately$3,00 to$400 to have a system Inspected, and pumped every couple of years. Maintaining a septic system Is like maintaining a car.A small effort on,a regular basis cars save a lot of money and significantly prolong the!life of the system, Innovative/Alternative (I/A);systems, although providing more advanced treatment,also require more frequent oviersight and maintenance. Please refer to our Septic Installers fist for licensed contractors. r Tlps to;Avold Trouble O have your tank pumped out and system Ii nspecteid every 2 years by a lic ns s �' contractor, if the teak fills upwith an excess ao f soli s the wastewater will not have enough time to settle in the tank.,These ces solids will darn pass onto the leach field,where they will clog the drain lines and loll.More information on pumpinEt. DO keep a record f pumping, inspections, other maintenance,. Use the ac this brochure t record ma,intenance dates., a DO practice water conservation,, Repair dripping faucets and leaking toilets, run washing machines and a dishwashers only when full, avoid long how rs, and use water-saving features In faucets,shower heads and toilets. DO learn the location f your septic systern and leach field. Keep a sketch of it handy for service' isits. If your s at r l has a flaw diversion valve,, learn its location,and turn it once a year. Flow diverters can add many years to the life of your star . DO divert roof drains and surface water from driveways and hillsides away from,the septic system. Keep sump pumps and house footing drains away from the septic system as,well. t DO grow gr s,s or small plants(not trees or shrubs)above the septic system to hold the drain field in la .Voter conservation through creative landscaping is a great way t ,control excess runoff DSO use only additives that have been allowed for usage in Massachusetts by MassDEP,Additives that are allowed for use in Massachusetts have been determined not to produce a harmful effect to the irn i i ual "t a ar its mpon ants er to tl n it rnment ant large. DO take leftlover hazardous household chemicals to your approved hazardous waste collection center for disposal. Use bleach,,disinfectants,infeetarnts, rn rain and toilet bowl cleaners sparingly and in accordance with product labels,, DON'T allow anyone to drive or park over any part of the system,.The area over the leach!field should be left undisturbed wit nl mowed grays cover. loots from nearby trees or shrubs may clog and damage f your septic Bees. a DON'T plant trees within 30,feet of yours st rrr or ark/drive over any part of the,system.Tree roots will clog your pipes, and heavy vehicles may cause your septic lines,to collapse. ON'T ma or allow r lairs t your septic system witl,r t obtaining the required health permit. Use professional licensed rntra t r when n e le . ON T use icomm,erdal septic tank additives other than those allowed for use in Massachusetts tt Mass,D l .These products usually not help and some may hurt your system in the long ruin. r DON'T use chemical solvents to clean the plumbing or septic sy,stem."Miracle chemicals will bill, microorganisms that consume harmful l wastes.These products can also cause groundwater contamination. i DON'T perform excessive laundry loads with your washing huing machine. being load after load dales not allow your septic tank tirrie to adequately treat wastes and overwhelms the entire system with excess wastewater. You could therefore be flooding your]each field without allowing sufficient recovery time.,You I ry should consult a septic professional to determine the gallon capacity and niumber of loads per day that can safely go into the system. DON'T use a garbage griinderp garbage disposal or any type of'in sink food disposal,whitch feeds into the septic system. If you do have one in the house, severely limit its use or remove It. Food materials do not break down the same way as wastewater and adding food wastes or other solids severely reduces your system's capacity, increases the need to pump the septic tank and can damage your system. I DON'T use your tolliet as a trash can by as non-degradable items down your tollilet or drain�s.Also, don't poison your septic,system and the groundwater by pouring harmful chemicals down the drain.They can kill the beneficial bacteria that treat your wastewater, Small amounts of standard household cleaners, drain cleansers,detergents,ate.,will be dil,uted In the tank and should cause no damage to the,system., Keep the following materials out of your systerri,: NON-DEGRADABLES ITEMS: Cooking grease,,,disposable diapers, plastics,,dental floss, cigarettes, ., POISONS: Gasoline,oil, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, polyurethane,dyes, disinfectants,antifreeze, etc., Water Softeners Many homes or small businesses rnay decide to install wateir softeners to address"hard water"and the resulting mineral deposits that build up from It,TheTitle 5 regulations prohibit water softener backwash or reject wastes from in into a septic system(conventional septic system,,, II/A system, or cesspool),In, any amount. However', the backwash from water softeners or from other water puri ication,or filtration devices can be discharged into a drywell that has been properly designed and Is approved by the local Board o�f Health. Backwash Is astewater genera from tedfr the cleaning of water and wastewater treatment w filters, A drywell Mr afion to the u srr ounding soil. is a pit,with open-jointed' lining or holes that allow inf I For more information on having a drywell designed for your home or busIness,you should contact the Health Department.