Your County Health Department maintains records of permitted systems and you may request those records by conducting them. Click here for a list of County offices.

Perc tests help to determine the most suitable design for a drainfield to serve as a component of the overall septic system and is required for a septic permit.

Septic systems typically last 20 to 30 years before needing replacement. If the system has not been properly maintained, this time frame may be shorter.

Signs that your septic system is not performing as designed include: slow drains, surfacing effluent (wet spots in the yard or near the tank), sewage backing up into a bathtub or toilet.

The frequency of pumping for conventional septic tanks depends on the size of the tank and the number of occupants in the home, 

Not all septic tanks have a filter in the septic tank, but if your septic tank is one that does have one, cleaning or replacement of these filters should be left to the professionals to maintain on at least an annual basis.

Septic tanks need to be pumped because solids and FOG (fats, oils and grease) accumulate in the tank. When septic tanks are not pumped on a proper schedule, the solids and FOG eventually build up to the point that they are released into the drainfield where clogging of the drainfield can occur.

It is very important to not dispose of chemicals, paint, grease, food, antibiotics or anything that is not bodily waste, or toilet paper, or wastewater from showering, handwashing, dishwashing or laundry.