MANHATTAN, Kan. - Whether you go home to a sprawling 2,000-acre ranch or a 3-acre suburban ranchette, chances are, you have a septic tank.

City dwellers are moving in droves to the suburbs and beyond, in search of a little space, and many find their new abodes equipped with septic systems for waste removal.

Such systems are a good, effective alternative to municipal systems but they do require routine maintenance. A key part of that maintenance involves emptying the septic tank periodically, says Kansas State University engineer, Barbara Dallemand.

"If a homeowner knows in the fall that it’s about time to pump the septic tank and she has a houseful of people coming for Thanksgiving, she would be well-advised to take care of the septic tank ahead of the holiday," said Dallemand, a wastewater engineer with K-State Research and Extension.

That’s an easy way to avoid failure of the system at a time when it might be needed the most, she said.

Regular septic tank pumping can help keep the entire system operating for a long time. The alternative could be slow-running drains, sewage backup in the home, wet, smelly areas in the yard, and the expense of replacing a system, she said. Some owners brag about how long they avoided pumping their tanks, usually the length of time that it took for the septic system to fail, instead of focusing on maintenance to keep the system working as long as possible.

"It’s the difference between saying ‘I didn’t change the oil in my car and it ran 50,000 miles before the engine seized up’ and ‘I routinely changed the oil in my car and it ran for 200,000 miles,’" she said.

Septic systems, which include a septic tank and a soil absorption field (laterals), are typically installed when there is no access to municipal sewage systems. They remove, store, and decompose as much of the solid part of a home’s or business’ wastewater as possible before the water goes to the absorption field.

Dallemand recommends a minimum 1,000-gallon septic tank for a three bedroom house and at least a 1,250-gallon tank for a four-bedroom house. If a garbage disposal is used, a larger tank is important.

How often the tank needs pumping depends on how large it is and how many people are using it. Every three to five years is typical.

However, there are guidelines. If six people live in a house with a 1,000-gallon tank, it needs to be pumped about every 1.5 years. But if six people live in a house with a 2,000-gallon tank, it should be pumped every 3.7 years.

Properly-sized tanks have enough space for sludge to accumulate for several years, but Dallemand said that pumping them at regular intervals can prevent premature failure.

Tips to help maintain and prolong the use of septic systems:

* Do not use additives. Many claim to make the system operate better or eliminate the need for pumping but, in fact, they may remove some of the material in the septic tank and force it into the absorption field which works against the purpose of the system. Also, some chemical additives are toxic and can harm the environment.

* Garbage disposals will speed up the frequency with which tank pumping is necessary.

* Avoid putting certain items down the drain including fats, oils, grease, egg shells, coffee grounds, facial tissues and cigarette butts. They do not decompose in the septic tank and take up valuable sludge storage capacity.

* Liquid laundry detergents are preferable to powdered forms.

* An effluent filter improves the septic tank’s efficiency of solids removal. It is a screened device in the outlet of the tank that protects the soil absorption field from solids carryover.

* Plant trees at least 25 feet away from the absorption field and remove any that are closer. Tree roots can damage the septic system.

Dallemand also recommends using water conservatively and reducing the amount of groundwater in the area as much as possible by diverting runoff from buildings away from the absorption field. A good stand of cool season grass over the field also helps with moisture evaporation.

For more detailed information on septic system installation and maintenance, numerous publications are available at county extension offices throughout Kansas .

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.