Septic System Additives

The only thing that should be “added” to your septic system is household wastewater. However, there are many products that claim to enhance the performance of your system, guarantee less frequent pump-outs or even repair your system! Don’t be fooled though, these products are unnecessary, expensive, and may shorten the life of your system! Known as septic additives, these products are marketed as septic system starters, feeders, or cleaners, but whatever the name they do not need to be part of your septic system maintenance routine.

Starters are advertised to get the system going after the tank has been pumped out or when opening the cottage after being away for the winter; essentially the product is bacteria in a bottle. However, your system does not need bacteria to be added-every flush yields more than enough bacteria for the system to work properly!

Feeders claim to provide food for bacteria by adding yeast or other biological products for the bacteria to munch on. Fortunately, the wastewater entering the tank is the only food the bacteria needs, so there is no need to add any extra bacteria food. This is true for those old septic system remedies too (liver, beer or raw chicken) don't need to be added to your system.

Some cleaners are marketed with the slogan “never pump your tank again”. These products work by breaking down the sludge in the tank. The liquefied sludge exit the tank and flows to the leaching bed. The liquefied sludge can return to a solid form in the leaching bed and plug up the tiles This means wastewater won't be properly treated and your system may back up. Keep in mind that the purpose of a septic tank is to allow the scum to float to the top and the solids to settle on the bottom, leaving only the clear effluent to flow to the leaching bed for further treatment. Those solids are supposed to be in the tank!

The breakdown of sludge in the septic tank is a natural process which does need any help from chemicals. Encouraging homeowners not to pump out their tanks can have disastrous long term effects. There is no evidence which supports the effectiveness of any chemical treatment. Periodic pumping (every 3-5 years!) is a much better way to ensure your septic system will work properly for many years. Additives are not substitutes for proper care and maintenance of your system, so save your system and your pocketbook, keep additives out!

To see what the experts say about septic system additives click here