Why Should You Care About Managing Septic Systems?
South Carolina's coastal zone is rich in both its variety and abundance of natural resources. The estuarine ecosystem is delicately balanced and extremely vulnerable to the external stresses imposed on it by man. In developed coastal areas, septic systems are often blamed for polluting surface waters with fecal coliform bacteria. This blame may be justified for older systems (pre-1986 regulations) and for unmaintained systems as they are more prone to failure.
To make them last longer, septic systems need maintenance just like a car does. Most people know that their car will break down eventually if it doesn't get serviced every now and then. People don't seem to know that about their septic system. It does occur to them, however, when sewage backs up in the bathtub or comes up in the yard somewhere. By then it might be too late. When your engine seizes, it won't help to change the oil. If your drainfield fails, just pumping the septic tank won't help either.
The first reason to care about managing septic systems is the health of your pocket book. Poor maintenance results in failed systems requiring repairs at a minimum and sometimes system replacement. In some cases there is no adequate repair option. Repairs or replacement costs can be thousands of dollars, whereas a periodic inspection and pumping costs about $200-$250 (think engine replacement versus oil change).
The second reason is the health of your family, your community and the environment. Untreated sewage water contains disease-causing bacteria and viruses, as well as unhealthy amounts of nitrate and other chemicals. Failed septic systems allow untreated sewage to seep into wells, groundwater, and surface water bodies, where people get their drinking water, shellfish, and recreate.
The third reason is the health of your economy. Contamination of water bodies by failed septic systems pollutes water supplies, closes shellfish beds and recreational areas, and creates offensive odors. Quality of life, recreational opportunities, and tourism decline, and with them do the property values and economic vitality of the area.
Today, many areas of our coastal zone are being developed at a rapid pace and the cost to build a new sewer system or extend sewer lines may be too high to justify. Even if the cost can be justified, you may not like the changes in your community that centralized sewer can bring. So septic systems are still relied upon for providing wastewater treatment in newly developed areas.
In any case, septic systems are no longer considered a temporary fix until "sewer comes in." Septic systems that are properly located, installed, operated and maintained can be just as good at treating wastewater as a centralized sewer system. While location, installation, operation, and maintenance are equally important, which of these do you as a homeowner or a local government realistically have potential control over?