Garbage disposals have a significant affect on a septic tank and septic system. The state of Georgia Department of Public Health has specific regulations when it comes to septic tanks and garbage disposals. If a garbage disposal is added in a home with a septic tank and septic system in Sharpsburg, Tyrone, Fayetteville, Peachtree City, or Newnan, then the septic tank must be increased in size by 50% in order to accommodate the waste.
A septic tank is designed to allow the solid and liquid waste from a household time to separate. When a garbage disposal is installed in a residential septic system it can drastically increase the amount of solid waste that goes into the septic tank. The state of Georgia as well as the EPA both suggest that installing a garbage disposal to your septic system can increase the amount of solids in your septic tank up to as much as 90%. This is why it is not recommended that anyone install a garbage disposal in a wastewater system containing a septic tank. If you are going to install a garbage disposal in your septic system it will be necessary to pump your septic tank much more frequently than a septic system without a disposal. If you have a garbage disposal and do not pump your septic tank more frequently then you are taking a serious risk that your system will back up.
If your septic tank and septic system backs up because of your garbage disposal then it is likely that it will be a much larger problem than a system without a disposal. Since the solid waste amount is considerably increased with a disposal it may require much more effort to clean out your septic tank. It will most likely take considerably more time and resources and will cost much more money for a company to clean out your septic system. At Firehouse Septic, we recommend that if you have a garbage disposal with e septic system, you should be very cognizant of what you put in your disposal. Always clean your plates in the trash before rinsing them off in the sink and never purposefully put solids in your disposal.
