Septic Brochures

The following brochures are designed to answer many common questions concerning on-site sewage systems (OSS).

Living with your septic system
This brochure explains how to take good care of your on-site sewage system in your daily practices. There are many things that homeowners can do in their daily lives to keep their systems functioning for a long time.

Operations and Maintenance of your OSS
This brochure explains the reasons and processes for ongoing operations and maintenance inspections of OSS.

Homeowners Guide to Septic Operations & Maintenance Inspections
For best results, please download the report & form and open in a PDF viewer (e.g., Foxit or Adobe Reader) before filling out.
This booklet is a companion guide to assist homeowners in completing Form 8420 OSS O&M Gravity-Pressure Distribution Report and Form 8422 OSS O&M Sand Filter Supplement.  This guide is not a substitute for the homeowner operations and maintenance training required prior to performing an O&M inspection on all systems other than gravity and pump-to-gravity OSS. It is intended to assist you, the homeowner, in properly filling out Form 8420. If you have a sand filter pre-treatment unit before your drainfield, you will also need to complete the “Sand Filter Supplement” Form 8422.

Time to pump
This brochure discusses how often a septic tank should be pumped.

Septic System Landscaping: Dos and Don'ts for Drain Fields
This brochure guides you in choosing septic-safe grasses, ground covers, and wildflowers for your drain field landscaping while highlighting plants to avoid.

Tank replacement brochure
If an OSS has a steel tank, the department recommends immediate replacement. This brochure describes the requirements and process for replacing a broken septic tank. It does not discuss the process for replacing a failing septic system.