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Be Septic Smart - What Rental Property Owner’s Need to Know


Do you own a vacation or rental property with a septic system?

Are you concerned about the well-being of your septic system in your rental?

Each year, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) holds SepticSmart Week with outreach activities to encourage homeowners and communities to care for and maintain their septic systems. September 16-20, 2019 is SepticSmart Week. With the number of rental & vacation properties growing nearly every year, I want to give some tips to owners to help maintain their septic system.

The EPA has some great resources for owners of rental properties. The outreach materials include flyers, postcards, and placards that can be printed out and used at your property to help educate renters. Renters may not be familiar with what to put (or not put) down the sink and/or drain. These printouts are essential for keeping your system from failing and should be posted for long term as well as vacation rentals.

Main Rental Flyer (PDF)

Kitchen Sink Flyer (PDF)

Bathroom Placard (PDF)

The EPA lists the following tips for renters on their Rental Property Flyer:

  • Think at the Sink! Please keep grease, fats, harmful chemicals, and hair out of the drain. They can clog or damage our system and can cause an expensive plumbing mess.
  • Don’t Overload the Commode! Please do not flush non-degradable items such as dental floss, diapers, wipes, hygiene products, or hair.
  • Be WaterWise! Stagger use of water-based appliances among house guests. All of the water in this home’s pipes ends up in the septic system. Efficient water use improves the operation of a septic system and reduces the risk of failure.
  • Be Mindful of Guests! If there are more people staying in our home than our septic system was designed to support, your guests may overload the system and mess up your stay. This is one reason why we cannot accept more than the maximum number of guests.
  • When in Doubt, Follow an Easy Rule of Thumb: Do not flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper. In the rare instance that sewage should back up into our home, avoid contact with it.

Looking for that peace of mind of knowing that your septic system is working properly and efficiently? Call us today at RC Worst & Company for any of your septic system questions.