The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that biological additives do not appear to improve the performance of healthy septic tanks. These same findings could not justify the cost of additives for septic systems for residential use (EPA, United States, 200). Septic systems don't need any additives to work properly and treat wastewater.
While there are many commercial microbiological and enzymatic additives sold on the market that claim to improve bacterial populations and reduce the time between pumping septic systems, there really isn't any peer-reviewed scientific literature showing that these additives are effective at doing so that they claim. These are bacteria, yeast and enzyme products that manufacturers sell as a way to start a new septic system or support an overworked system. However, since the system obtains all the bacteria it needs from incoming waste, biological additives are unnecessary. They won't harm your system, but they don't help either.
The obsession with cabins says that bacteria must be eliminated once a month. RidX suggests rinsing it once every 3 months. Any idea what the best septic maintenance is? Thank you. All active septic systems contain bacteria, without using additives, and you need those bacteria to help your septic tank process waste.
Beneficial bacteria, found naturally in the waste you flush down the toilet, are constantly moving through the septic system, breaking down solids and turning them into liquid waste. If your local septic service company tries to sell you septic tank additives, be sure to read this and consider the pros and cons before making a decision. With all the septic tank additives on the market, it's tempting to think that at least some of them could help your system work more efficiently. Approval simply means that, as required by Florida law, the additive does not interfere with the operation of the septic system and that, when an additive is used, the effluent (wastewater) leaving the septic system meets Florida water quality standards.
The main reason why so many people use unnecessary or harmful septic tank additives is because they don't really understand how a septic system works. They work by allowing fats, oils, and fats to flow downstream to secondary treatment systems and other components of the septic system. Commercially available microbiological and enzymatic additives are promoted to reduce the accumulation of sludge and slag in septic tanks. Solids settle to the bottom of a septic tank (mud), oils and greases float on top (slag), and wastewater (effluent) leaves the tank to the drain field for further treatment. In addition, the installation of an effluent filter, which helps to reduce the amount of solids leaving the tank, helps to improve the health of the septic tank.
A conventional septic system is comprised of a septic tank and a drain field, where most of the wastewater treatment takes place. Waste that cannot be decomposed sinks to the bottom in the form of mud, while the rest floats upwards in the form of scum or, finally, comes out to the drain field as processed wastewater, after being processed by bacteria from the septic tank.
