LILWA

Changes to the LILWA Board of Directors

Although it's something that nobody really likes to think about, having a properly working septic tank is incredibly important. A malfunctioning one can easily send sewage and gas back up the pipes and out through your drains. This makes proper septic and sewage maintenance paramount for both hygienic and environmental reasons, as improperly maintained septic tanks can also leach raw sewage and dangerous chemicals into the ground. Proper sewage maintenance is particularly important in high summer temperatures, which only make a bad situation worse if you are suffering from sewage issue.

Hiring an experienced company can save you from costly repairs and dangerous sewage leaks, and keep your home and property hygienic and environmentally friendly. Many sewage and septic tank issues can be prevented by basic maintenance and common sense. Both in-house plumbing systems and septic tanks should be annually inspected for damage by a licensed company. To protect your pipes, you shouldn't put grease or large food particles down drains, since they can easily clog pipes.

As far as the septic tank goes, you shouldn't put any chemicals down the toilet, which can leach to the ground or disrupt the bacteria in the tank. Additionally, you shouldn't flush anything that won't break down. This means such as plastic items or sanitary napkins, which can clog the pipes and stop up the septic tank. Although it sounds simple, this combination of common sense and regular maintenance can prevent the majority of sewage issues.

You should also be careful when planting trees and shrubs in your yard. Far reaching roots can break through pipes or the walls of septic tanks. Likewise, you shouldn't install a swimming pool within fifteen feet of your septic tank's draining field. This field must remain easily accessible for maintenance and draining.

Even with the best maintenance, septic tanks and sewer lines are going to have problems sometimes. If your drains are working slowly or clogging often, you should call a licensed septic service promptly. You may have a large scale accumulation of hair, soap scum, food particles or grease, and they will be able to blast through this gunk. This is not only good for the health of your pipes, it is also an important step in maintaining the hygiene in your home.
Likewise with septic tanks, if you are beginning to have problems with your toilets flushing, or experience wet patches or sulfuric smells in your yard, you should contact your septic company as soon as possible. Whereas septic repairs used to be very destructive. However, now many septic companies can carry out the job in a less invasive way. They are equipped with flexible cameras that can go through the sewer lines and diagnose the problem without having to take apart the pipes or dig up the septic tank.

Click image for election results.

How does one choose a company to service a septic system? Is price the major factor? Is a neighborhood business more attractive than a company from outside your area? And what about qualifications? After all is said and done, shouldn't qualifications enter into your decision?

Obviously, most people base their decisions based on a combination of factors. But when it comes to qualifications, how does one judge the competence of service people in any trade where the customer has little or no knowledege?

Recognizing that there were no testing requirements for septic system service technicians, the Long Island Liquid Waste Association instituted a two part Certification Program, open to both member and non-member companies, to train and test their technicians on basic skills as well as health and safety issues.

Technicians who successfully complete the training by passing an examination are then entitled to display the LIWA "Certified Serviceman" patch on their work uniforms and their respective companies may use the same in their advertising.

This helps prospective customers to know if the company working on the septic system on their property possesses the basic requisite knowledge and skills to do the job properly. It is also your assurance that the techicians have been trained in how to preserve the health and safety of the customer as well as themselves.

Consumers who wish to know which of the LILWA member companies have current certification should click here to visit the "Find A Company" page on this site. Companies that have at least one certified employee are highlighted in blue.

Certification training and testing takes place at least once a year with additional sessions being held if needed. Member companies are notified in advance when the sessions occur. Others interested in the training should visit our Certification page. Applications are available for download.

LILWA "Grease" Press Release - Click

Note: Check the "Archive" for articles that are no longer on this page, technical information, reprints etc.

Support Our Associate Members!
Click Here

Block Construction Hazards - Click

Associate Member Advertisement

032912