ABOVE GROUND-BELOW GROUND - LEAVES AND SEPTIC TANKS NEED ATTENTION AS AUTUMN ARRIVES IN NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT

10.25.07

Peak leaf viewing more or less ended Monday, after a spectacular weekend. It seemed like the color advanced/changed almost hourly once the weekend got underway. Tuesday saw high winds arrive, in advance of rain with wind, and basically we saw "snowing leaves" for much of the day, removing the color we enjoyed until then. There are pockets of potential color in some of the mountains, but the stormy weather may eliminate them too.

Below the ground, many area agents learned quite a lot about in-ground septic systems last week. More than most would care to know!

Emphasis, especially for existing, older systems included strong advice against use of sink disposals, unless you pump your system annually-possibly; also, water conditioning systems that drain into septic tanks can be very corrosive to the tanks and shorten a system’s life significantly in some instances.

New tanks are now double chambered and have "strainers" at their outlets. These need periodic maintenance as they can become clogged, like lint filters in dryers, creating operational problems if not maintained.

For new construction or tank replacement, when possible, put in a tank at least once size larger than your house plans call for. They are sized by the number of BEDROOMS, NOT baths. The larger the tank, the better they handle water flow rates and therefore settlement of sediment.

Back to "above ground": it would be good to make sure that the fallen leaves are removed from any drainage passages, and roof gutters, to prevent whatever might happen when water can’t flow where it is supposed to.

©2007 R Leech features