Submitted by Thurston County Public Health
If your wastewater (what you flush and what goes down your drains) is treated by an on-site septic system, you don’t have to pay a monthly fee for sewage treatment. However, you do have an added home maintenance responsibility. Like any other investment, septic systems require regular care and maintenance.
There are simple things that everyone living in a home on a septic system can do to keep their systems running smoothly. For example, regular inspections, pumping every three to five years, and practicing water conservation will extend the life of a septic system. When septic systems fail, raw sewage from the systems can contaminate the surface and groundwater. Groundwater is our main source of drinking water, so we want to keep it safe for us all to drink and use for cooking, bathing, washing dishes and clothes and so much more. We depend on groundwater. When surface water is contaminated it can harm wildlife and close local shellfish beds and beaches due to unsafe bacteria levels in the water. Proper septic system care helps prevent pollutants from entering and altering our water sources. It supports the health of our community – the people and the ecosystems.
To learn more about maintaining your septic system, come to a free Septic Sense Workshop. We’ll provide information specific to your system, give plenty of tips on how to extend the life of your system, and hear from professionals working in the field.
Please register in advance at (360) 867 – 2674 or on our website. Take care of your septic system and it will take care of you!
Wednesday May 14
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Gordon’s Grange Hall
308 East Yelm Ave. Yelm
Thursday May 15
7:00-9:00 p.m.
McLane Fire Station
125 Delphi Rd. NW Olympia
Wednesday May 21
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Griffin Fire Station
3707 Steamboat Island Loop NW Olympia
Thursday May 22
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Thurston County Courthouse
2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW (Building 1) Olympia
