The importance of maintaining your septic system can be compared to the importance of maintaining your car's engine. The responsible automobile owner knows that the car's oil should be changed every few thousand miles. If you do not change your car's oil periodically, your car's engine will eventually fail. The same holds true for your septic system.

Pumping your septic tank is the most important aspect of maintaining your septic system. Most septic systems should be pumped out every 2 or 3 years depending on the size of the tank and the number of people using the system. (In some cases when a large number of people are using a small tank, then the tank needs to be pumped annually or semiannually.) If the septic tank is neglected, solid waste will escape from the septic tank into the drainage system. The solids will plug up the following: 

• The perforations in the leach lines the gravel in the trenches eventually
• The soil itself. (Once the drainage system is contaminated with solids, it will fail.)