Septic Tank Pump-Outs: What Regular Maintenance Really Involves

When a septic tank fills up, the usual answer is to call in a truck and pump it out. It’s an important part of septic maintenance, but it’s not the whole answer, and if it’s the only thing you do, you may be pumping out more often than you need to.

What pumping does, and doesn't, do

Pumping removes the sludge and scum that have built up in the tank. That’s necessary from time to time. But it doesn’t change the conditions that made the tank fill up in the first place. If the bacteria in the tank aren’t breaking down waste efficiently, solids will build up again just as fast.

Why tanks fill up faster than they should

Not enough healthy bacteria to digest the solids.
Harsh chemicals going down the drain.
High water use flushing waste through before it’s broken down.
Fats, oils and food scraps that the system struggles to process.

Restart the biology after a pump-out

Straight after a pump-out is the best time to re-establish a healthy population of microbes. ProPower Septic & Bio Tank treatment adds beneficial probiotic bacteria that get to work digesting solids and controlling odour as the tank refills.

Make it part of a preventative program

ProPower Septic & Bio Tank treatment can be considered as a supplement to good septic care, not a substitute for inspections, desludging or pump-outs when required.