septic & sanitation

Maintaining Your System

The #1 thing you can do to keep Koshlong Lake clean and healthy is to make sure your septic system is working optimally!

Most Cottages have septic systems, a series of tanks and drainage beds which hold and filter liquid waste from your kitchen and bathrooms. These operate differently than sewage systems and require care to prevent clogging and overflow, which can be costly to repair, and contaminate the lake you are here to enjoy. In our region of Haliburton, it is particularly important to maintain our septic systems properly because our soil and bedrock conditions are not always optimum for treatment.

Learn more below about how to care for your system.

Today’s septic tanks consist of water tight boxes divided into two compartments. Tanks are usually made of pre-cast concrete or plastic. Waste and water from your kitchen and bathrooms flows into the tank, where it separates into layers:

Organic solid material floats to the surface and forms a layer called the "crust" or "scum"
Bacteria in the septic tank biologically convert this material to liquid
Inorganic or inert solid materials and the by-products of the bacterial digestion sink to the bottom of the tank and form a layer called "sludge"
The water between the crust and sludge layers should be clear; this is what flows into the second compartment and then out to the soil absorption area

Bacteria must be present in the septic tank to digest the organic solids.

Normal household waste provides enough bacteria to keep the digestive process working properly, but use of anti-bacterial products can harm essential bacteria, so solids cannot be properly digested.

Overflow of solid material into the second compartment can cause septic failure!

The main causes of failure are:

Insufficient bacteria in the tank
Excess water entering the tank
Infrequent pumping of the tank
Age or damage to the tank or pipes

Maintain a Healthy Septic:

NEVER put in toilets or drains:

Food scraps of any kind - SCRAPE them into the trash!
Fats, oils, grease
Bleach or fabric softener
Antibacterial soaps or cleaners, including denture cleaner
Automatic toilet bowl cleaners
Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms
Baby wipes, diapers
Nail polish remover
Dishwashing liquids containing bleach
Rinse agents
Cat litter
Gasoline
Antifreeze, Varnish, paint, solvents
Pesticides
Cigarettes

NEVER INSTALL A GARBURATOR!

Download this tip sheet

Follow these Simple Tips

always:

Choose phosphate and bleach free detergents and soaps
Limit water usage:

turn off the water while washing dishes, brushing teeth
repair or replace leaky fixtures
install low-flow shower heads and shorten time spent in showers
wash only 1 (one) load of laundry per day

Enhance the bacterial content of your system by adding Eco Ethic septic treatment monthly
Get your system inspected and cleaned every 3-5 years
WATCH for signs of a problem:

toilets or drains are backed up or running more slowly than usual
foul odours in the home or drinking water
soggy ground around the tank or leach bed
unusually green or thick grass around the leach bed
surface flooding, sewage or effluent around the tank or system
activated alarm signals
significant algae growth in nearby lake or river beds
high levels of nitrates, bacteria, other contaminants in well or lake water (drinking water testing is offered by the local health unit)

To learn more about septic maintenance, visit the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners' Associations or the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Associations, or download the resources below:

Fact Sheet Homeowners' Guide Operation & Maintenance Septic Tips Septic Do's & Don'ts

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Thanks to KLA member Rob Horsburgh for his photograph of Wallace Island used as the background photo throughout this site