When you have a septic tank, you may need to modify your behavior. You have to make sure that you do particular things when you have a septic tank in order to keep it in good shape.

#1 Plant Grass Over Your Septic Tank

When you have a septic tank, you want to be careful what you plant over the septic tank and drainage field. The best thing to plant over your septic tank and drainage field is grass. Grass has very short roots that will not invade and damage your septic tank.

#2 Keep Activity Away from Your Septic Tank

You want to keep pretty much all activity away from where your septic tank and septic tank drainage field is located. You should not park your vehicle or your lawn equipment on top of your septic tank. You should not put up a shed or other structure over your septic tank.

The area where your septic tank is located is not a good place to put up the kid's playground. It is also not a good place for livestock to roam.

In general, it is best to limit the activity above your septic area. You don't want to compress the soil, damaging the pipes below. You also don't want to negatively impact the drainage of the area.

#3 Limit What You Put Down Your Drains

When you have a septic tank, you need to be very careful about what you put down your drains. Try to limit what you put down your drains to water, soap, toilet paper and human waste. Keep literally everything else out of your drains, including food scraps, hair, and other tissue products.

Inside of your septic tank are bacteria that break down the things that make it to your septic tank. Allow unnecessary waste into your septic tank will create sludge that the bacteria cannot break down. Some waste, such as chemicals from cleaners, could even mess with the bacterial balance in your septic tank.

#4 Ditch The Garbage Disposal

If you can, ditch the garbage disposal. You really don't want to send food scraps and waste into your septic tank, no matter how small it is ground up. Put vegetable and fruit scraps into a compost pile, put grease into a grease bin, and throw all other food scraps into the trash, not down the kitchen sink and through your garbage disposal.

#5 Keep Runoff Away from Your Septic Tank

Finally, you want to make sure that you don't flood your septic tank area. Keep an eye on how runoff moves on your property, and make sure that it is directed to the proper drainage channels and not through your septic tank drainage field.

When you have a septic tank, you need to make sure that you protect the drainage field by planting grass over the drainage field and keeping all activity away from your drainage field. Limit what you put down your drains and ditch the garbage disposal as much as you can to limit items that getting into your septic tank that it can't deal with. Finally, make sure that you have a good water drainage system, so runoff doesn't flood and damage your septic tank drainage field. 

For more information, contact a company that provides septic services.