My kids were pretty revved up about Earth day here in the Pocono Mountains, (but they don't think about septic systems).
My youngest had a ball when her first grade class went out to the surrounding woods to pick up litter. She wanted us all to go around our neighborhood near Lake Wallenpaupack and pick up more litter - I promised her that we would set aside an afternoon to do just that. I have always loved the beautiful earth God created for us.
I remember seeing the famous "Crying Indian" pollution commercial starring Iron Eyes Cody, when I was just a
little kid. While the actuality of Cody's Native American heritage seems to be a matter of debate, the power of this iconic commercial can not be denied.
Several years back, I saw the commercial replayed on Nick At Nite and was mesmerized into silence again, like I was the first time I saw it in the 70s. Thanks to the Internet, I can still see this historic clip whenever I want. It pains me to see litter strewn about Pike and Wayne County and I have been known to amble around Bingham Park in Hawley or the shore along Lake Wallenpaupack, picking up the trash laying around.
I was searching for something (totally unrelated to this blog, and meant for a future blog) tonight and somehow found The Simply Green blog by Danny Seo, which promotes, naturally, reusing, recycling, and just plain "being green." I was scrolling through the articles, enjoying many of them and admittedly, snorting at some. I am a conservationist to a degree but...well...I'm not perfect, and I just can't get into a pillow that looks like a thatched roof...OUCH! I was particularly interested in Lazy Laundry, part of Danny's series "Combat Global Warming Week". When it comes to laundry, I am definitely lazy, so this blog was for me.
Natch...this blog was NOT for me. I am one of the many homeowners in northeast Pennsylvania that has a home septic system for our waste management. While Danny's suggestion of doing several loads of laundry at one time, in order to dry all the loads one after the other, makes sense when it comes to conserving electricity, it does NOT make sense for your septic system.
Septic experts teach that one of the main reasons for failed septic systems is the washing machine! One problem is the lint released into the system by the washing machine, which makes its way into the drainfield and clogs the pores, preventing proper drainage. The other issue is an overload of water being flushed into the system in a short period of time. It is better for your system to spread your loads out throughout the week, limiting your laundry to one or two loads per day, rather than several loads in one day.
Danny's suggestion is great if you happen to live in town or in a homeowner community with central sewar systems - but if you have a home septic system, steer clear.
Here are some links for information on home septic systems and their care.
1. Local conservation expert Ron Tussel offers a variety of ecological services, articles and solutions on his company website: EcoScientificSolutions.com Ron is well known and respected throughout the community.
3. Reader's Digest article "Maintaining a Septic System" - a very simplistic article but offers some helpful illustrations and other links.
4. Penn State Extension - Water Resources. I was going to link to just the septic page, but felt the entire section is link-worthy.
5. Sun & Earth Cleaning Products - I love this stuff, especially the cleansing spray and dishwashing liquid.
While I'm all for being green, protecting the environment, and conserving energy, I'm also all for preserving your septic system - it's a costly thing to replace. Fortunately, with care and education, a homeowner can have a septic system last for many years. As a REALTOR, I consider it part of my "Do" diligence to point homeowners in the proper direction in the care and maintenance of their septic systems...even if I loathe to do my own laundry.
Septic Systems and Earth Day, ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.
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